Bleeding Out
by leosbabygirl84
Summary: The story about a new jutsu used to end the war; Kakashi and Sakura's love story and the lengths that they will go to make sure that they all survive. Later chapters cover the changes from the war and how it affected them. Rated M for future language, battlefield injuries, and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 1

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(Towards the end of the Fourth Shinobi War)

Kakashi POV

(Stands in front of the makeshift memorial wall inside the war room headquarters while other generals and the Kages are talking strategy behind him)

_Sighs... When will this stop? I have lost so many... that...I... I can't stand to see any more names written on this wall, these people are more than just a name on a wall or carved on a stone. They are my friends, comrades, and subordinates. They had a life before this war; they each were special and loved by many. This war needs to end now! _

I turn around with a determined look that takes Lady Tsunade by surprise. She says, "What are you thinking about Hatake?" "With all due respect, there are several holes in this plan," my infamous genius mind working a million miles a minute trying to rework their plans to decrease casualties. Nara Shikamaru might be a great tactician and all about planning, but I knew my fellow shinobi better than anyone in the room. I took in all I saw with the sharingan over the last battles and knew our weaknesses ,but most of all I knew our strengths. The jutsu I had in mind was unheard of and never tried before, but I knew that it needed to be done in order to finish this war. I had worked with Sakura and Naruto on this and they believed that we could do it, I just needed the rest of the people who would be involved in the jutsu and I needed the Kage's approval. "I'm proposing something that has never been done before but, if successful, will cut anymore casualties." Lady Tsunade leaned forward from her chair and said, "Well, out with it, but if it's what you and your former students have worked on, know that you have my full support" I looked at her incredulously for a second and then regained my composure, of course Sakura would confide in her shishou about any new jutsu that we might attempt that would put her skills to better use on the battlefield. Gaara looked from Tsunade to me and said, "Well, what is your plan?"

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Sakura's POV

I know that I probably should have told Kakashi that I was going to ask Tsunade's opinion about the jutsu that he wanted to create but he should probably be figuring this out at this very moment. Ha! Glad I can still surprise him, after all this time. During the last three years of fighting this war, I began to understand why Kakashi had been so traumatized during the Third Shinobi War, so much death and carnage that could even make a medic sick to her stomach, and he was just a kid when that war happened! Like him, I began my own little ritual of looking at the list of the dead every night after the end of my shift to find some way to cope with the sense of loss. Kakashi noticed this, and began standing silently beside me giving me his strength and support. Through all the pain and death that surrounded me everyday, I enjoyed the moments that I spent with him. The air felt lighter around him and I was able to smile and just simply breath that I knew deep in my heart that my feelings toward him were changing. No man, not even Sasuke, could make me feel like he did. I know that there wasn't a list of men that I was with, actually I had never been with a man before, because I simply had no time for a relationship or they were too scared to approach me. I secretly think that Naruto had a hand in chasing away potential suitors because he is so overprotective of me; he's like a brother to me and I love him so much.

Last year, Kakashi came in suffering from chakra exhaustion and on the brink of passing out as he performed a transportation jutsu and arrived in my operating room with 3 men with near fatal wounds on his back. I swear that man would rather die than let anyone else die under his command. During his recovery period, we would have late night talks or when I had a really troublesome day, he would summon his ninken and let me pet them and relax while they told me funny stories about their boss. Pakkun took me aside one night and told me that he knew for a fact that his "Boss" had the hots for me because he could smell the pheromones that we were both emitting. My shriek startled all the dogs and Kakashi glared at Pakkun with so much killing intent that his aura was turning a weird purple color. After I calmed down enough I began thinking that A) Kakashi was a pervert, B) He was lonely or C) He really felt something genuine for me but had enough self-control to never let me suspect that he had any feelings for me. I knew that the difference in age meant nothing to a shinobi because of the nature of our work. We accepted happiness when we had a chance to get it and did not look down upon any relationship that was between two consenting adults. I think that he was my former sensei was the motivating factor for his secrecy but I could not understand why he never approached me about it. The Great Copy Nin afraid to open up to some girl, Huh?

The year went by with our regular late night talks or early morning vigils at the wall but as time went on, he slowly started opening up to me even more than before. One day, about a month and a half after his heroic entrance to my operating room, he came in to the medical tent all full of mud and some open wounds to see me. I cleaned him up, dressed his wounds and as I was putting on the last dressing, he grabbed my wrist to turn me around and hugged me. It felt like he needed someone to hold him, and so I did just that. This war was taking a toll on his mind. I had never seen Kakashi so desperate for human contact before. It was no secret that Kakashi and I were becoming involved and with Naruto and the Hokage's blessing no one seemed to think twice about it. _Ummm, I wonder if I should tell Kakashi about…_ "Sakura-sempai! We need you in OR 3, there is a group of ANBU that was ambushed and two are in critical condition!" The day never seemed to end, hopefully the Kage's agree with Kakashi and we can try to carry out the new jutsu.

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A/N Well Guys this is my first chapter on my first fan fic ever! Please read and review and I accept all forms of reviews, just please keep it clean and so will I. Most of the story has been planned out but I accept any suggestions on ideas. Please don't feel offended if I don't use them, it might just be that they don't fit the story that I have in my head now. All I can say is that this story is inspired by a song, but when we get to that point I will make sure to give proper credit where it is due. But we have ways to go till that scene, so anyways please enjoy and see ya next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

Chapter 2

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Kakashi POV

Gaara looked at me with a hopeful look. He too was tired of the death and destruction and wanted this war over as soon as possible.

_Who would have thought that the once blood lust filled jinchuriki of the Sand would ever be tired of blood. Having the demon extracted from him was the best thing that happened to that kid. Hopefully he will be able to live a long life after this war is over, maybe have a couple of sand brats with "what's her face" from Suna. Maybe Sakura remembers her name? Kids… Sakura… that would be nice…. if only I had that much luck. Kami-sama knows that Sakura would be a wonderful mother one day. I bet she would look absolutely beautiful carrying my child?_

I was brought back to reality by a "slight" kick to the shin courtesy of my wonderful leader, the dear Slug Princess herself. As everyone sat down and turned their attention to me, I asked that Nara Shikamaru be brought in to listen to the plan and give his opinion on the matter. Shikamaru rose through the ranks as one of the best minds on the battlefield. His opinion was valued by all the Kage's present even when he complained about everything being "troublesome". When he poofed into the room through our ANBU transportation technique he was filled in by Tsunade and sat waiting for me to start the explanation of the jutsu.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure that all of you present have known the power of the Kyubi and how Naruto is able to share Kurama's chakra for a period of time with other fellow shinobi. I have tried to come up with a way to harness that potential chakra energy and be able to strike the enemy while being able to protect our own. For this I have spent the little free time that I have with Naruto and Sakura trying to come up with a jutsu that will use their greatest techniques, along my own, in a combination similar to the Ino-Shika-Cho formation". Shikamaru, who looked utterly bored, actually sat up a little on his chair and his eyelids opened up by fraction. "This jutsu is one that I have been a victim of and let me tell you it's no walk in the park. I have debated whether it is right to use this but as I see that our shinobi's lives are being taken indiscriminately by the enemy, I have come to the conclusion that if we don't use it, we will no longer have a future generation to protect."

I seemed to get the attention of the Kage's at this time and they knew very well that with the losses we all faced, our village's children were the ones that would pay the price of a long draw out war. Asuma had been right about viewing the children as the "king" and doing everything in his power to protect them. I was well aware of Shikamaru's promise to his sensei of protecting Kurenai's child after Asuma's death.

"This jutsu will involve Sakura's Strength of a Hundred Seal Technique, Naruto's ability to share chakra, and my Magekyo Sharingan's Tsukuyomi technique."

The look on their faces was priceless. Shikamaru sat up from his chair and said, "But you have never used Tsukuyomi! That bloodline limit technique is only used by Itachi and Sasuke!"

"Ah, yes that is true, but I have been the only one that has been under Tsukuyomi while possessing the Sharingan and mentally survived the stress of that technique."

Tsunade looked around the room and said, " I treated Hatake after that incident and if his mind could endure that kind of torture and still be reasonably sane enough for me to continue to trust him with our troops, we should at least be able to hear the rest of his plan."

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Sakura's POV

Stepping into the chaotic OR 3 I quickly took command of the situation and began calmly handing out instructions to all the medics and nurses present. I swear these people should know that freaking out can only cause careless mistakes. I assessed my patients and began mentally prioritizing all of their injuries. ANBU injuries were always near fatal due to the nature of their dangerous assignments. The two critical patients needed stabilizing and that was priority number one, next came the other two ANBU members that had minor burns from a Katon Jutsu. They brought in their captain and co-captain after they were ambushed by some enemy ninja this morning. They said that their captain took the brunt of the injuries to make sure that they survived and got the scroll that they had just retrieved from behind enemy lines to the hands of the Hokage.

_This protective trait is something that is ingrained in the DNA of any true commander of the Leaf…. sighs…. Kakashi is just the same… Thump-thump, thump-thump (my heart clenches at the thought of ever losing him, he is all I have left in this shattered heart of mine)._

"Sakura-sempai, what are your orders?" I look at my assistant and begin forming the seals to start a jutsu that I created myself about two months ago for when I needed to care for two people at once. This can only be possible because of Inner Sakura's ability to concentrate on a separate thing from my own mind.

_Think about being able to have two separate minds in one head, yup it gets crowded in there but it does have it's advantages._

I place one hand on each patient's chest and while I concentrated on the captain's injuries, Inner me took care of the co-captain's. My green healing chakra flowed in from my right hand, while Inner me's blue healing chakra flowed out of my left, I forced my eyes closed to concentrate and shut out any other distractions. When I was done, I opened my eyes only to discover a group of medics starring in a mix of awe and confusion.

"H-How is that possible, Sempai?"

"I looked at my assistant and smiled kindly letting him know about my split mind and perfect chakra control.

"Does the Hokage know?!"

"Of course she does! It's a variant of Katsuyu's healing summons with her slugs, but only my healing powers are just seperated by my mind into two instead of many small slugs" In truth, I developed this jutsu because I could never choose between saving either Kakashi or Naruto's life if they both needed my help at the same time. The thought of living in a world without either of them was simply unbearable.

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Kakashi POV

"I need you to understand that this technique is a last resort kinda thing and that I don't believe that it should be used on any enemy, so do not worry about Konoha using this on your respective villages" I knew that the Kage's from the other four great nations would immediately become suspicious of a technique exclusive to Konoha. Any person would think that we might use this against them once the war ended, so I made sure that they understood the sacrifice that I would be making after the completion of this jutsu. "To put the other Kage's unspoken fears to rest, when, and if, I use this jutsu, it would mean the complete demise of the sharingan that I posses." The room fell silent and the Hokage looked at me and said, "Hatake, outside now!"

"You did not tell this to Sakura, huh?"

"No Hokage-sama, I do not think that she would have taken the news lightly"

"But, the Sharingan you posses is the last we have in the village. Sasuke is still seeking revenge against the Council and we don't have a guarantee that he will ever return to Konoha on our own terms. The Sharingan is a bloodline limit exclusive to Konoha, who gives you to right to forfeit it, even if the cause is worthy"

_At this point I was completely livid, yet I managed to only raise a single eyebrow towards the leader of my beloved village._

"Hokage-sama, this bloodline limit is not my own, it was a gift of sacrifice from Uchiha Obito. There is no possible way that I could ever pass this on to any children that I might have, and to put it bluntly when I die, whether today or ten years from now, the Sharingan will be forever lost to Konoha. If the village is so interested in preserving the Sharingan, then they should be more interested in the return of Uchiha Sasuke and any reparations that might be owed to his family."

"Reparations! Have you lost your mind! I take it back, Tsukuyomi might be having a residual effect and has addled your brain to even think about forgiving Sasuke's actions!"

"I understand that what Sasuke has done is unforgivable in the eyes of the Council, but could you actually believe that what they did to his clan didn't affect the course of his future! He wants a better shinobi world, that much is certain. He is trying to vindicate his brother's name, letting him live in a world full of revenge is only going to push him further away from us. Right now is the time to act and change. If my sacrificing the Sharingan will let Sasuke know that we will not use his clan's blood limit as a mere tool, he might see that the changes that HIS generation is enacting are the way of the future!" I whisper, " This is the least I can do for my failure as a sensei to my students."

"You have been hanging around Naruto way too long, but I see the logic in your argument. I'm going to be getting a lot of heat with the council for letting you do this, but this is a time of war and difficult decisions have to be made in order for us to keep the future well being of our villages. Oh and Hatake, I need you to know just between us that I have always been proud of Team 7's accomplishments, with and without the Uchiha brat. A person who admits their faults can never be seen as a failure in my book so don't beat yourself up too much, Kami knows that you get your share of beatings from that apprentice of mine." She smiled at me and gave me a reassuring look.

We walk back into the room and inform the Kage's and generals that I will be needing Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and the Kazekage Gaara's help in order to set this up.

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A/N: So guys I couldn't resist and posted another chapter, I really hope you like it. I know that the relationship with Kakashi and Sakura seemed rushed in the first chapter but I needed them to be at a stage in their relationship where they were willing to do anything for each other not just as teammates but as soul mates. I promise I will further develop their relationship in these next chapters and hopefully explain their feeling towards each other. Please review and let me know what you think so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 3

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Sakura's POV

Once I finished with the ANBU squad, I retreat into my "office", which consist of some boxes stacked together near the corner of the medical tent to give me the illusion of privacy, and sit down on the floor looking over the late Chiyo-sama's journals. Gaara brought them over from Suna as a gift from the Village Hidden in the Sand. He said it was the least he could do for helping them save Kankuro and himself a few years back. I have to admit that giving up potential secrets from one village to another is practically unheard of, but the alliance between Suna and Konoha has never been stronger. I can only see it becoming almost unbreakable when Naruto finally becomes Hokage one day.

I am completely engrossed in a particular journal when a puff of smoke appears next to me and the masked ANBU shinobi, which I recognize as the Hokage's personal guard, informed me of my immediate summons to the war room headquarters. I put away the scroll that I was working on along with Chiyo-sama's journal and follow said ANBU out the door.

_"So much for a break! Cha!" Inner Sakura stomps her foot down, while cracking her knuckles._

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Kakashi's POV

As the room filled up, I stepped out the window for a moment to summon Pakkun. Once I informed him of what I needed him to do, I sent him on his way and returned to the front of the room where Naruto and Sakura waited for me.

_Wow, her eye's are the most beautiful green imaginable. I could get lost in those sparkling gems that shine in a way that the most precious jewels in all of Fire Country could never compare. Wait... What just happened there, I must be channeling Gai. Ugh… But I have to admit she does look like the sweetest angel about to…. oh no!_

Her angelic vision was shattered by a loud smack as she raised her voice a couple of octaves higher than usual, "Naruto, you Baka!" Naruto had a huge bump on the top of his head where my lovely, sweet, _and sometimes gentle_, Sakura hit him for addressing the Kage's as "What's up old timers!" I hope that he can at least show some decorum for the next couple of minutes. With everyone seated and ready, a slightly dizzy Naruto, Sakura and I stand up and get ready to explain our plan.

"This jutsu, which we are about to explain, will be something that no one has ever been a part of in the past due to the complex nature of the specific bloodline limits involved. As many of you know the Uchiha clan of Konoha are the wielders of the Sharingan. With the only remaining Uchiha now out of our reach, I am the only Sharingan user that can also wield the Mangekyo Sharingan. The technique that is exclusive to blood members of the Uchiha clan in its highest form for the Mangekyo Sharingan is called Tsukuyomi. This technique can trap the minds of its victims and have them endure any type of physical damage the caster wishes them to experience for any amount of time. The timespan is different while under Tsukuyomi, one could be tortured for days while only be under the jutsu for a couple of seconds. The injuries that occur are not physical, but deep mental gashes into the victim's psyche. Because this is a high-class ninjutsu it drains the majority of the wielder's chakra and can potentially cause 'slight' damage to the eye." Tsunade gives me a slight glare that is thankfully overlooked by Sakura. "Uchiha Itachi, was known to have the strongest Tsukuyomi technique ever, and I was somehow able to survive this with my mind intact. While under Tsukuyomi I was tortured to an extent that even Morino Ibiki of our T & I department would be hard pressed to achieve."

I heard some murmurs across my audience and I proceeded to explain the rest of my plan. There was no reason to go into the details of my torture and I did not want Sakura to know exactly how much that still lingered deep down in my soul.

"The jutsu that my team has prepared involves Naruto's amazing chakra reserves that he will be sharing with me, courtesy of Kurama. Sakura will maintain a part of her mind actively healing my eye while Tsukuyomi is being held against the enemy. Sakura's other part of her mind will be healing the rest of our troops through her slug summons, as Naruto share's his chakra with her as well. The jutsu's that both Sakura and myself will be using are extremely draining on our own chakra reserves, so Naruto will be in constant contact with both of us to replenish our chakra during the duration of the jutsu. The reason why we called Hinata, Ino and Kiba is that we need their specific skills to help us differentiate friend and foe. Hinata will use the Byakugan to help Sakura identify our troops that are in need of medical care. Ino will infiltrate the minds of the enemy while they are under Tsukuyomi, to find out any information that we might need. Kiba and Akamaru, will be helping Kazekage-sama protect Ino, Hinata, Sakura, Naruto and myself. While performing this jutsu, we all will need complete control of our specific abilities and cannot be distracted by anything. The sheer amount of people who will be under our combined effect will be a feat that no one has ever attempted."

"Kazekage-sama we will need a clear line of sight so that Kakashi can make eye contact with as many enemy nin that he can. All it takes is for the enemy to look at him directly and they will be trapped in Tsukuyomi," said Sakura. Gaara just nodded his agreement and informed us that he will be implanting a slight amount of sand in each of our wrists so that his sand can recognize our chakra signatures and protect us, just as it protects him.

Naruto was filled with excitement and startled Gaara by giving him one of his infamous hugs. "See Gaara, I knew that we could count on you! You are the best, Believe it!" Gaara made an attempt at a smirk that would have been the equivalent of a Uchiha giving us a megawatt smile, Ha! An Uchiha smiling, I would have actually laughed at the thought of that happening. Naruto sure had a way with breaking the hard cold exterior that Gaara had. Maybe Naruto's bloodline limit was not an expansive chakra reserve but the ability to break down the most closed off people in the world and making them functioning members of society.

_Minato sensei, your boy will do wonders as our next Hokage. I hope that Kami-sama answers my prayers and peace is once again brought to the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Naruto would be the perfect person to lead us in times of peace and rebuilding._

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Sakura's POV

I listened to Kakashi explain the part of the jutsu that involved our fellow friends and began thinking how taking charge of situations like this came naturally to him. No one could ever doubt his experience on the field. His prowess as one of the best shinobi in the world was renowned and he had been in the Bingo Books since he became jonin at age 10 before he even had the Sharingan. I had a great sense of pride in his words and actions because I knew his motives and the craving that he had for peace.

I thought about the times that we spent at the memorial wall paying our respect to the fallen. It amazed me that he managed to know at least one story behind every name on that list, even from the nin of the other nations! As the Third Division Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces he made it a point to give his subordinates some of his time. I would sometimes catch glimpses of him walking down the camp, stopping by and talking with any shinobi that passed by. He told me once, that if he didn't take the time to make the shinobi feel a sense of camaraderie within the camp, how would they ever work together on the field? Most of these shinobi had never considered working with any other ninja from any other village but their own, and now here they were all stuck together trying to fight for the same cause.

When Kakashi finished the explanation, and we managed to pry Naruto off of Gaara, we were allowed to go back to camp and rest while the Kage's decided on our next steps.

As we walked out, Kakashi took my hand and gave it a slight squeeze. I looked at him and he gave me his trademark eye crinkle that indicated that he was smiling underneath that mask of his. I smiled back and he brought me close enough to lean down and whisper in my ear, "I need to show you something." He kissed my forehead, did a quick seal and poofed us to a different location via his trademark transportation jutsu.

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A/N: Hey Guys, What do you think so far? I know that I'm leaving some plot holes and hopefully I can stitch all the events together some more so things can start to make sense. I appreciate the reviews, believe me I will work harder to proofread as much as I can. I have 4 kids, so this story is being written late at night, or in between my kids activities. I know some of the characters might seem OOC but most of the things that I have written that seem OOC are what they are thinking. I can't say that I will stick strictly to the canon universe because then I wouldn't have this story so there will be some things that are out of the norm. I mainly started writing this because I was listening to a song and this story just bloomed inside my mind and would not leave me alone until I put some things on paper so I'm just being inspired by my muse and writing what feels right, plus this story is just for fun, so hope you enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 4

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Kakashi's POV

I know that I can always count on Pakkun.

_I need to make sure to buy his special shampoo… Maybe Sakura has an extra bottle that she can share with him… Why do they use the same shampoo?... Maybe I shouldn't bring it up now, she might end up hitting me and ruin the moment._

That little ninken carried Minato sensei's special transportation kunai and managed to find the exact field that I told him about.

As we arrived at that field the protection jutsus that I had previously set up activated when they sensed Sakura's and my chakra signatures. I had set up everything that I needed the day before.

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Kakashi's Flashback:

I spent most of the day twisting and turning a chakra enhanced silver wire into the shape of a cherry blossom bloom. I began wrapping the delicate creation around my mother's wedding ring. This had to be perfect. With the war going on I had no time to go find a suitable engagement ring so, I did what I could with what I had on hand.

Even though I cannot remember my mother, because I was so young when she passed away, my father told me enough to know that she was a fiery, spirited woman who loved the both of us with all her heart. For that reason I kept my parent's wedding bands, along with my father's tanto sealed within a small scroll that I kept close to my heart. This was all that I had of my family and clan, so I made sure to keep them in the safest place possible, inside the front shirt pocket underneath my flak jacket. This is where I have always kept it since I became chunin when I was six years old. Opening that scroll to retrieve my mother's ring was a bit emotional to say the least. As I carved a seal on the inside of my mother's ring I felt that she was also with me and would approve of my actions.

I have never let anyone get this close to my heart before, and here I am about to present it on a silver platter to the most wonderful, intelligent, and beautiful woman who I ever had the honor of laying eyes on. Sakura taught me to first be honest with myself, and learn to love myself. The years of self-doubt and regret over the deaths of my friends was a constant source sadness. I don't think that I ever forgave myself for that, and I wish that things could have been different when I was growing up. Then again, I probably would have continued to be the same cold, rule-following bastard that I was before Obito showed me that life was more about following some damn handbook. Kami knows that I took Obito's words to heart and learned from those mistakes. I just wish that I could have been a better sensei to Sasuke. He was never my favorite student, but I saw a lot of my younger self in him and desperately wanted him know that there was always more than one path in life. His defection hit me the hardest, and I felt that I failed him; I failed Minato sensei; I failed my village because I failed as a teacher.

Sakura changed that for me. She showed me forgiveness, because she had to deal with her own feelings towards Sasuke. We both decided that we needed to move on and begin to live again. I take no moment for granted now. She is my everything, and I believe with all my heart that I could never truly leave Sakura, even after death. I would be her eternal guardian, the scarecrow in a field of cherry blossoms, watching over and protecting her from the other side.

_Man, Kakashi you sound creepy and melancholy, this is supposed to be joyous occasion, lighten up!_

Kami, I think Inner Sakura is rubbing off on me now because I am now talking with myself!

-End of Flashback

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Kakashi's POV continued

When I let go of Sakura from the embrace that I held her during the transportation jutsu, she turned around and immediately recognized where we were.

This is the field where I finally broke down in front of her and told her part of what I had endured under Tsukuyomi.

This is the field where I poured my soul out and finally opened up my heart completely to her.

This is the field where I first kissed her.

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Sakura's POV

(looking towards the field Sakura has a flashback to that specific day 6 months ago)

We were both having a rough day, I had lost two genin that had stepped on a buried explosive tag; Kakashi had to deal with a comrade having a complete mental breakdown over the death of her younger sister, that happened to be one of those genin.

We walked silently along the camp, when he looked down at me and held out his hand, "Can I take you somewhere?" he said these words with an edge of apprehension, but when I smiled at him and took his hand a look of relief flashed for a split second in his eye. He bent down and held me close, my back to his chest, as he formed the seals of his transportation jutsu right in front of me. I think he wanted to show me what he was doing so I wouldn't freak out when we were suddenly thrown into movement that lasted but a mere second. I have to admit, that was the weirdest feeling ever, because his specific jutsu allowed him to move vast distances. ANBU were known to be able to do that if there was a specific seal at their intended location. Sure enough, I looked down and noticed a strange-looking kunai with seals carved on the handle at the exact spot where we landed in a puff of smoke. Kakashi bent down to pick it up and told me that the Yondaime Hokage gave it to him when he became jonin. He seldom spoke of the Fourth, but before the war I would sometimes catch him meditating atop of the Hokage mountain, right on one of the carved spikes of hair that was the trademark hairstyle of the one and only, Yellow Flash of Konoha.

We walked towards a tree that was nearby and sat down. I looked at him, waiting for him to say something, when he sighed and said to me, "Sakura, I'm tired… I feel that this war might be my last."

"What! Kakashi you can't say that! Don't think that y-you… will die. No, not while I'm around."

"No, Sakura listen to me, I am tired of war, I have longed for peace for the longest time that I can't bear to lose anyone again. I… well… when I was…"

He didn't know how to proceed with what he was about to tell me, there was fear in his eye and a sense of nervousness all around us. So, I gave him a minute so he can collect his thoughts. I took his hands in mine and patiently waited for him to continue. That gesture might have given him courage to continue on.

"Sakura do you remember when I was unconscious in the hospital?"

"Kakashi you have to more specific than that, you have been unconscious plenty of times before."

"No, I mean when Tsunade, well you know… When she had to fix me up here," he said while tapping his head.

"You mean when you fought against Itachi?"

I never told him that I stayed over in his hospital room during the first few nights after the attack. His nightmares were terrible and the nurses didn't have the strength to keep him in place when he was thrashing around in his bed. Tsunade and I even resorted to dream manipulation when the nightmares got really bad. He would start yelling in agony and I would feel my heart-break a little more with each painful sound that passed his lips.

He nodded and softly said, "I saw everyone around me die horrible deaths over and over. The torture that everyone endured was magnified ten-fold as my own torture. Itachi, he… he was ruthless because he kept both of my eyes open so I could experienced everything through my Sharingan. Every moment, every scream is seared into my mind forever. Our life as shinobi prepares us for death at an early age, but what it doesn't prepare us for is losing the lives of our most precious people. I have lost so many that I couldn't bear to see Sasuke and Naruto's name on that wall."

He put both of his hands on his face in an attempt to cover up the emotions that were surfacing. I noticed that he didn't mention my name and felt my heart clench painfully inside. Two months ago Pakkun had told me that he believed that Kakashi had feelings for me, and as our late night walks became the norm I was starting to believe that he was right. I was slowly falling in love with Kakashi. I guess Pakkun was wrong…

Kakashi looked up at me and suddenly brought his fingers up to his mask and pulled it down. He let me process what he had just done, because the shock of finally seeing his face must have been clear on my face. He had a strong jaw line, soft looking lips, no scars (other than the one bisecting his left eye, down towards his cheek) or other marks on his face. He looked younger with the mask off. After a while he slid off his hitai-ate and slowly opened his Sharingan eye. I took in a deep breath and then Kakashi slowly took my hands into his and said to me, "Sakura, this is me... If I were to lose you, of all people, there would be no reason for me to continue living."

I was so stunned at his confession that I just stared back. After a long pause, he let go of my hand and was going to put his mask back on while muttering, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for and inappropriate. I shouldn't have said that to you…" I quickly held back his arm and slowly caressed the side of his jaw line up towards his ear. He stilled immediately and I noticed the slight tremble of his hand as he let go of the fabric of his mask.

"Please Kakashi, don't do this to me," his eyes closed at the anticipated rejection, but I then cupped both of my hands on his face and said, "don't hold back now. If you are willing to open up to me, do it with no masks, no walls, no barriers between us. This is the face of the Real Hatake Kakashi, and if you entrust me with your heart and soul… please take mine and keep them safe."

I don't think that the famous Copy Ninja was ever left speechless, but there he was looking straight at me with his mouth slightly opened. I could only see his Sharingan moving and memorizing every detail on my face and of the surroundings between the both of us. At that moment he leaned in close to me and gave me a kiss that could have melted all the snow in Snow Country. It was slow and gentle at first but grew with such passion and fire that I was getting dizzy and could only hold on to his flack jacket for support.

He noticed that I was running out of oxygen and pulled back enough to let me catch my breath while he said, "Sakura, if you give me the honor of protecting your heart and soul, I promise to mend every single broken piece and seal it within my own." His eyes were filled with sincerity and hope for the both of us.

My eyes misted over and I took in a deep breath in and said, "Kakashi… please… I will protect your heart and soul with every ounce of my very being… but please don't ever leave me"

"Never…" he said and held me close.

End of Flashback

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A/N: Hey guys this chapter is more flashbacks than anything else, but I needed to set the back story in place, so sorry for that. Please know that their romantic relationship was growing slowly since the incident when Kakashi crashed into Sakura's Operating Room. This is also a time of war so they didn't have a lot of time to be going out, but their relationship runs deeper than that. They knew each other before the war, so their quirkiness and habits were already known and accepted by both of them. He started loving her a long time ago, but never said anything because he wanted her to have a chance at a normal life. He knew that he was damaged and didn't want to have Sakura deal with that. Sakura had let go of her romantic feelings towards Sasuke after he tried to kill her, but she still wanted to bring him back for Naruto's sake. She realized that she wasn't that much of a friend to either of them, so she grew up and became the friend that Naruto wanted and hopefully the friend that Sasuke needed.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 5

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Sakura's POV

This field... our special place… he brought me back here! I quickly turn around and see that he had already taken off his mask and hitai-ate and was smiling warmly at my reaction. He felt comfortable here and knew that with me he didn't have to hide behind anything anymore.

He told me that he had set up a perimeter protection around the field yesterday, so we wouldn't be disturbed and could finally relax.

_Relax?! I don't know if I know the meaning of that world anymore. The casualties are increasing and there are times that I work myself close to chakra exhaustion. The nights that Kakashi does his rounds around the perimeter of camp, are the nights I spend going over Chiyo-sama's journals and scribbling notes on my scroll about a specific jutsu I am developing._

Just then Kakashi pulls me close to him and I feel his arms wrap around me as my back crashes into his chest. He leans down and whispers right next to my ear, "I love you Sakura." He then proceeds to place feather light kisses down my neck.

My thoughts become clouded and I feel shivers run down my spine.

He takes a deep breath at the crook of my neck and tells me in a deep husky voice, "You are absolutely intoxicating." And with those words he begins to slowly rub my shoulders to release some tension in my muscles. It's not a healing chakra enhanced massage, but it feels divine.

"Ohhh, Kakashi that feels sooo good." I manage to whisper in between each precise kneading of my overworked shoulder muscles. I feel my body relaxing at his touch and begin losing a battle with consciousness.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I looked down and my Sakura's limp body is completely relaxed and she is beginning to fall asleep. I thought my words were sending a different signal, but my hands betrayed me and instead of eliciting a certain reaction, managed to put her to sleep.

_Way to go, Hatake!_

I imagine that she is exhausted and overworked, so I continue to softly massage her arms and work my way down to her hands. I kiss each fingertip and notice that her hands feel just like mine. Our fingertips are calloused and rough yet, our palms are soft, albeit mine have a couple of more scars than hers. This is a testament to the independent and very capable kunoichi that is now passed out in my arms. I pick her up and carry her to where I had placed a couple of blankets near the tree where I first kissed her. I lean back on the tree and she automatically curls up next to me and places her head on my shoulder and her arm on my chest, over my heart. It's like she subconsciously knows that she owns every single part of me and stakes her claim right where I keep the love that she returns to me.

I decide to let her sleep, and as I watch over her my Sharingan memorizes every detail, from her soft pink hair, to the slow rise and fall of her chest, to the cute way that she parts her lips ever so slightly when she sleeps. I somehow manage to pull out of my back pocket _Icha Icha_ and start to read. After some time, Sakura's hand, that had previously been lightly resting over my heart, manages to suddenly clutch my front shirt pocket as if a bolt of lightning had just hit her and holds on to the scroll that I always keep there.

_Mom, Dad are you guys sending me a sign?_

She opens her eyes in shock and says, "Kakashi what is this?"

I put down _Icha Icha_ and slowly take her hand that is still clutching the scroll that was in my front shirt pocket. She looks at me with a steady gaze and opens her palm which holds the scroll and is now glowing a greenish blue color. I take her hand and help her sit up. I place my hand over hers while keeping the scroll in between our palms.

At that moment I look at her and tell her, "Sakura, I love you with all my heart and soul, I have promised to keep your heart safe and continue to heal any wounds that you might still have with my unending love. I can't offer you more than what you see right here in front of you. I am a simple man, with a heart that yearns to be one with you for as long as Kami-sama allows us to be on this plane of existence, and even then I plan to be with you for all eternity in the next."

I take a deep breath and focus my chakra into the scroll and release it. My father's tanto and two wedding bands appear in between our hands. Sakura can feel the weight of the tanto and looks a bit surprised. I move my hand and reveal the two wedding bands that lie in her hand along with the tanto. I take all three objects from her hand and put the tanto next to me. My parent's wedding bands begin to glow more brightly in shades of green and blue. I take my mother's ring that is glowing a bright blue and infuse a bit of my chakra into the seals. The affinity for lightning that is in my chakra nature is transferred into the cherry blossom that I created and begins glowing a dark blue with sparks of silver right at the center of the silver blossom. Sakura's eyes quickly dilate as she processes what she just saw me do and I can see some tears forming on the edges of her beautiful emerald colored eyes.

"Haruno Sakura, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

* * *

Sakura's POV

I can't keep my eyes off the bright colors that are being emitted from the ring in Kakashi's hand.

_Inner Sakura yells at me, "Did you just hear what he just said! Cha! Say yes already!"_

I look up at him and see hope and anticipation all over his face. There is no fear in his eyes though, there is only love.

I feel the tears spilling over and manage to strangle out a "Yes, Kakashi oh Yes, I do accept!"

He hugs me tightly and places a chaste kiss on my lips. His smile is beaming with pride.

_Wow, his smile… Have I ever seen him truly this happy before?_

He takes my hand and before he places the ring on my finger he tells me that I need to infuse some of my chakra into the ring. I do as he tells me and I see that the color on the seals now changed to green but the flower is still a silver blue color. The larger band that is now next to the tanto that also appeared from the scroll is glowing a green color too. when the chakra colors begin to fade, he places the ring on my left hand's ring finger and kisses the center of it.

He allows me some time to look closely at the fine workmanship of the thin wire like petals. They look so delicate but when I touch them they feel as hard as steel. He gives me a slight chuckle that captures my attention and he tells me, "Now that you have infused your chakra, that ring is virtually unbreakable."

"Kakashi, did you do this yourself?" I ask with wonder.

"Yes, it is my mother's wedding ring, and this one here is my father's."

I reach for it but he says to me, "Uh, uh, you can look but you can't let those rings touch until the wedding." He has a smirk on his face and I find it completely adorable.

His words finally sink in, "Kakashi, this is your mother's ring?"

He nods but says, "And now it is yours, Future Mrs. Hatake."

I blush deeply and smile at him, "Well, Future Mrs. Hatake wishes to kiss her Future Husband."

With that he takes me into his arms and places a soft kiss on my lips. I want more and attempt to bite his lower lip but he places a finger on my lips and says with a smile on his face, "Feisty and impatient, good qualities in a wife."

I feel my face burning but I manage to tell him in my most seductive voice, "You know, future husband of mine, I believe that you haven't even begun to explore the other qualities that I posses, but since you seem to think that I am impatient I will just have you wait a bit longer to find out."

Kakashi's mouth actually gaped open and the look on his face was that of him trying to process the challenge that I just presented him. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed his _Icha Icha_ books and took off running. I yelled behind him, "I don't think you will need these anymore, but I might need them to get a few pointers for the wedding night. Since you obviously seem to think I am feisty, I must research your definition of it!" If I didn't shock the Copy Ninja before, that seemed to do it because he took off after me and had a gleam in his eyes that looked completely predatory.

* * *

A/N: First off, thank you for reviewing! Ok Guys, here you have it, I hoped you liked the engagement scene. BTW Naruto #671 OMG!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 6

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Kakashi's POV

_She took my books and plans on using them!_ Ok, I thought nothing in this world could surprise me, but I am clearly wrong. Sakura will continue to surprise me until the day I die. Kami, I love this woman.

I take off in the direction that she took off and keep my senses on high alert. This woman is as stealthy, _and deadly_, as she is beautiful. I know that she masked her chakra but, she must have forgotten that I can still track her scent.

I catch a whiff of fresh rain and jasmine and pounce on my prey.

I manage to catch her looking through _Icha Icha _and tackle her on the soft grass, cushioning her fall by landing below her. She looks enthralled by what is going on in page 29 and tells me, "Kakashi, is this even possible?" Her blush is the same shade of her hair as she looks at me with those innocent eyes. I cannot believe that my Sakura actually managed to get to page 29 without passing out, I can't even imagine what kind of questions she would ask me by page 84.

I take _Icha Icha_ from her hands and give her a chaste kiss on her forehead, "Sakura, please don't think that the things in this book is what I envision doing to you," her blush deepens and I lean in close and whisper in her ear, "What I plan to do to you on our wedding night would put the entire _Icha Icha_ series to shame." Her eyes widen and I hear her gasp. "Kakashi… I… " "Don't worry love, when the time comes, the love that we share will tell us exactly what to do." She tucks her head under my chin and wraps her arms around my waist and whispers, "I love you, Kakashi." My sweet, innocent cherry blossom…

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel safe in Kakashi's arms and we rest for some time. Kakashi had been drawing random circles on my arms with his fingers and after a few minuets his fingers finally stopped and rest at the base of my neck, slightly entangeled in my hair. I feel Kakashi's breathing slow and become steady, and I know that he is falling asleep and do not wish to disturb him. Kami knows that this man doesn't sleep enough.

His words bounce around in my mind and of course Inner Sakura has to give me her opinion, _"You know, some of those things in that book sure looked interesting. Don't you feel bad for calling him a pervert all those years ago? Who knew that you were just as perverted as he is."_

I sigh and tell Inner Sakura to shut it. I had no experience in this department. Of course, I heard all about it because of Ino's incessant gossip, and as a medic I knew the mechanics of it, its just that I don't want to disappoint him with my inexperience. After Sasuke left, I didn't think about other guys and by the time I became the apprentice to the Hokage herself, I had little time to do much else but train and read medical scrolls, then came the war. Oh well…

The night sky is starting to lighten up in the predawn hours so, I regretfully have to wake Kakashi up. We both have duty's waiting for us at camp, and now more than ever I need to finish my research on Chiyo-sama's journals. I start kissing Kakashi's collarbone and work my way up his neck. When I bite down gently on his earlobe his hold on me tightens and he murmurs, "I can get used to waking up to this… How are you this morning?"

"Feisty and impatient" I say, and his smile widens.

Kakashi gets up and stretches, then walks over to his pack and takes out some fruit for our breakfast.

He smiles down at me and says, "I'm sorry, but these are all the rations that I had on me last night." I take the fruit gratefully and lace my fingers in between his and sit beside him to eat our breakfast in silence as we watch the sunrise. There are very few moments of peace during a war so we take advantage when we are blessed to get them.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I teleport the both of us back to camp. Sakura takes hold of my hand and tells me that we should tell Tsunade as soon as possible, I tell her that we can do it this afternoon but she has to break the news to Naruto herself.

Even though he gave us his blessing, I know that he is going to overreact and be the overprotective brother that he is.

_Ugh… He might want to spar with me… or worse, he might want me to buy him ramen and talk! I take it back, I would prefer to spar with the Kurama himself._

That boy has more energy that he knows what to do with. Getting him to stop talking about something that he was passionate about was nearly impossible. Sakura is the best option to control his temper and emotions.

I kiss Sakura on the forehead and then take her hand and kiss the ring that is on her left hand. The blush that spreads over her face is something that I will never get tired of seeing. She smiles and tells me, "I love you, meet me after my shift so we can go tell Tsunade."

I nod and smile at her, then I do a quick seal that transports me to the intelligence room where Nara Shikamaru is waiting for me.

* * *

Sakura's POV

As Kakashi left, I take off in search for Sai.

I already knew where Naruto was going to be this morning so his knowledge of the wonderful news could wait for a couple of more minutes.

I will need to finish the research that I was doing from Chiyo-sama's journals as quickly as I can.

I walk to the outskirts of camp and manage to find him sitting atop a tree branch by the lake, sketching the scene below him. I stop and wait until he is done sketching because I didn't want to disturb the pair of butterflies that were resting on a flower in front of me. When he finishes, he jumps down and greets me with the familiar, "How are you this morning, Hag?"

_Will he ever learn?_

"Good morning to you, Sai. What were you just sketching there?"

He looks down at his sketch pad and hands me the drawing.

"Wow, Sai, this is remarkable… you captured the movement and beauty of the butterflies landing on the flower petals… This is really beautiful and serene."

I hand him the drawing back but as I do he grabs my hand and notices the ring.

"Hag, what is this? I do not recall you ever wearing any jewelry in the past. Is this an attempt to look more attractive to the opposite sex? You know I read in a book that you must… "

"No! Kami- no, Sai that is not what that is. I… well I wanted to tell Naruto first but since you noticed… Kakashi gave me this ring. _(blushes)_ Um, we are to be married, hopefully soon... I think."

He looks inquisitively at the ring and then looks at me and says, "Ugly, this ring is very beautiful, do you mind if I sketch it?"

"Yeah, I think that would be fine. Do I have to do anything?"

"No just place your hand here and keep your fingers this way." He places my arm and hand in an awkward position and starts to sketch in a furious pace. It only takes him a couple of minutes and then tells me that he has what he needs and will finish it later on.

I ask him if he could come by the medic tent around lunch because I needed some help with some ink that I had worked on, and I needed his expertise. He raised an eyebrow ever so slightly and then agreed.

With that I took off to the training field to look for Naruto.

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for your support and reviews. I hope you like this chapter. I absolutely love Sai's character and couldn't resist putting him here (Well his ink will have an important role to both Sakura and Kakashi in later chapters ^_* wink, wink). Sai's affinity to capture the beauty of the world around him must be because of the horrible things that he had to witness and actually do while in Root. I feel that it must be Sai's own coping mechanism.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 7

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Kakashi's POV

I walk into the intelligence room where Nara Shikamaru is waiting for me. _I knew he was going to corner me sooner or later, so I should just get this over with._

"Kakashi-senpai, we need to talk about this technique you are planning to use."

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to approach me. What's on your mind Shikamaru?" I lean back on the wall and pull out _Icha Icha_.

"You know first hand what that technique does to people's minds, are you really going to turn around and use it on the enemy to achieve peace? I mean sometimes the end justifies the means, but I never thought you were that heartless."

His words struck a chord deep inside; an anger that I didn't know I had inside of me came out in the form of a growl. My demeanor changed and Shikamaru backed away, visibly shaken by my stance.

I put down _Icha Icha_, walked over to the famed tactician and said in a voice that was barely above a whisper, "Look Shikamaru, do not talk about things you know nothing about. Me, heartless? I have bled for this village; I have sacrificed some of my most precious people; I have been tortured to the brink of insanity, and for what? My village, its people, the people I love, that is why endure all of this pain and anguish, so they can live a better life and not worry about the evils of this world! I am a shinobi; I am one of the deadliest men alive; I am the guardian of the Leaf that does the bidding of its Hokage; I am one of the shadows that guard this village's deepest and darkest secrets, but I am NOT the heartless bastard that would do such a thing in an attempt for peace or to gain power. Doing that would just be the first step towards losing the last shred of humanity that I have left. No, Shikamaru… I plan to change things with Tsukuyomi, but not in a way that the technique is usually used. I plan to use this technique for a greater good. If losing the Sharingan is the price I pay for peace, then I will gladly pay it."

"Look Kakashi-senpai, I am sorry, " Shikamaru said, " I.. I didn't know."

I sigh and run my hands through my hair, "No Shikamaru, as my kohai I should have tried to establish a better relationship with you after Asuma died. I promised him that I would look after you when you were made jonin. I know you can physically take care of yourself, but no amount of academy training ever prepares you for the psychological burden that your rank now holds."

I go and sit by the window next to a table with a shogi board set. I tap the edge of the board and look over at Shikamaru and tell him, "Come on over and play a game with me. I will tell you how I'm going to use Tsukuyomi."

* * *

Sakura's POV

I reach the training grounds and catch a blur of orange going through a very rapid set of katas.

"Hey Naruto, do you have a minute?" I jog up to where he is and sit on a nearby rock.

"Yeah Sakura-chan, what's up?"

"Look I need to talk with you, mind taking a walk with me?"

"Sure, let's go!" He is always so enthusiastic about everything that he does.

We walk down by the lake and I ask him, "Naruto, how do you feel about Kakashi?"

"Well, Kaka-sensei is the best, but he is definitely not my type. I thought you guys were an item now? Did something happen? Did he hurt you? Do I need to go kick his ass?"

"Whoa, whoa Naruto, calm down! Kakashi and I are just fine, no nothing happen, he did not hurt me, and no you do not have my permission to kick his ass. I… I… well Naruto I have to be honest with you, I truly love him and I... I mean "we" are going to get married."

The look on his face was completely void of emotion for a couple of seconds but then his eyes began to sparkle and he began to grin.

He hugged me tight and then he pulled back and said, "Sakura-chan, does he make you happy, I mean truly, truly happy?"

"Yes, I am happy. I don't feel broken anymore, and he completes the void that I didn't even know I had."

"Well, I am happy for you and I will always be there to support you, but can I still kick his ass?"

"Ugh… look right now I don't need him injured, so please refrain from putting my fiancé in a coma, but no one says you can't have a friendly spar."

"You're the best Sakura-chan, believe it!"

"Look Naruto, I have to go, I have to start my shift in a couple of minutes, but I'll see you around."

My shift is pretty much the same as always and lunch time arrives sooner than I thought.

Sai waits for me right outside the tent and I catch him sketching a pair of birds building a nest up on the tree limb across from him. I quietly jump up and land silently next to him. Once he finishes his sketch, he looks over and asks, "So Ugly, what do you need my help with?" I smile at him and tell him, "Let's go get some lunch first and then I'll take you to see what I have worked on."

We eat our lunch in comfortable silence but as we are about to leave Sai asks me, "Hag, are you happy with Kakashi?" I was taken aback by his question, usually he doesn't bother with asking questions about Kakashi and me.

"I am, Sai. Kakashi makes me feel more than happy; he makes me feel loved and cherished."

"Do I have to kick his ass?"

"W-What?!"

"Well you see I read in a book that brothers usually protect their little sisters from suitors that have less than honorable intentions, by physically hurting or intimidating the intrusive male."

"Sai, are you saying that you care about me?" His only response is a slight nod.

My eyes start to tingle and I am overcome with a sense of warmth deep in my heart. Both Sai and Naruto have been there for me, acting as big brothers since Sasuke left and we had to form a new Team 7. I'm pretty sure I will get the same speech from Yamato-sempai… _the joys of being the only female in a group of four overprotective men._

After we pay for our meal, I take Sai over to the medical tent and go to my corner of the room where I have the ink that I have worked on. His eyes roam around the collection of chakra enhanced inks and then he looks at me with an inquisitive look.

"Ugly, what is all this ink for?"

"Here is the thing, there are times that I cannot be with you, Kakashi, or Naruto when you all are in battle and are injured. My plan is to enhance this ink with some of my healing chakra that can activate at the onset of a serious injury or ingestion of poison. The first couple of minutes after any injury are the most critical and could mean the difference between life and death. With the help of Inner Sakura, my mind can concentrate on two different things at once. So, I will place a seal on my inner conscience and then a corresponding seal on you guys. If you guys are injured the seal will activate and I can channel my chakra through the seal tattooed on your body and at least give you enough time to get to a medic. This is a variant of when I summon Katsuyu, to help heal people with the small slugs, but there is no need to keep the summoning in constant contact with you guys."

"You would do this... for us? I mean to keep us safe?"

"Yes, Sai. You are my family, the only family that I have left and I couldn't handle losing any of you guys."

"Hag… S-Sakura… I would be be honored to help you with your work." He bows to me and then looks startled when I go up to him and give him a hug.

We both get to work on the different chakra enhanced inks and finally come up with a solution. Tsunade had lent me some of Jiraiya's sealing scrolls and a suitable seal was created for my purposes. Sai will use a technique that will insert his ink right underneath the first layer of skin but will take root in the proper site when the person wearing the seal is injured.

_(It's like a live-motion tattoo that can travel within the body, but otherwise will lay dormant within the seal.)_

My chakra will fill that area and heal the site enough to stabilize them. We figured out how to place the seal on Inner Sakura as well, but we will need Tsunade's help because I have to be unconscious and allow Inner Sakura to take over while the seal is being place.

Afternoon came all too quickly, Sai left after we finished writing our notes on the seals and put away the inks. As I was walking out of the medic tent, I felt Kakashi's chakra signature behind me and he enveloped me with his arms and gave me a kiss on the back of my neck. _Kami- He knows exactly the spot that makes me turn into a pile of goo._

He breaths in my ear, "Are you ready to see Tsunade?"

"Yes love."

* * *

A/N: So guys here is the next chapter, please review. y'all have no idea how much the reviews inspire me to further establish the story. I tried to show another side of Kakashi that most people have never seen. That is why Shikamaru was so startled. I think that he has repressed a lot of these feelings for the sake of others, but now that he can do something about it, he feels that there must be another way to end the violence. Naruto has been his inspiration, because he see's how people can change based on their influences and experiences. Minato had great faith in Kakashi as a boy and Kakashi feels that since the Fourth wasn't able to be there for Naruto, he should take on that role to protect the village in his stead. Again, Sai, is one of my favorites so I'm so happy to put him in this chapter. Don't worry he will be in later chapters as well.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 8

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We arrive at the Hokage's private tent. Tsunade has practically been her second mother since Sakura started her apprenticeship with her, but their relationship solidified as mother/daughter during these last two years. I know that she wished that we were going to the yuino ceremony with her parents instead of being here outside of the Hokage's tent.

* * *

Flashback:

Sakura's parents had evacuated Konoha before the start of the war but were killed two years ago in a robbery, while they were on a business trip to Mist. Sakura was distraught because she couldn't do anything to save them. The war had taken precedence over all other activities in the villages and a proper investigation couldn't be done. I financed a mission myself to find the people who killed her parents. I was only allowed to take Kiba and Neji with me, but that was more than enough. We only took four days to track and bring back those assholes that murdered the innocent couple. Remembering Sakura's tears and screams of pain during those first nights made me almost lose complete control and take their lives right then and there. Neji's calm words helped me see that even if I killed those murderers, it wouldn't bring them back for her. We brought the criminals back to camp, after Kiba and I beat them to a bloody pulp. Kiba had become a great friend to Sakura, since the veterinary tents were right by the medical tents, and they saw each other almost everyday. He could smell the fear, loneliness and overwhelming grief from Sakura the day she got the news. He didn't think twice when I approached him about tracking her parent's killers. When we approached the Hokage about what to do with them, she turned to Sakura and asked her what she wanted to do. Sakura, kept her expression as stoic as possible, then went into the room were the two men were being held and took a seat in front of them. I don't know what happened in that room but those men were reduced to tears by the time that she was done with them.

She came out of the room and calmly said, "Hokage-sama, I ask that these men be put to work in our camp as repayment for the atrocious actions that they have committed. I believe that they are willing to do as you wish and will not give you any problems from now on." Tsunade nodded and told the ANBU guards to escort the prisoners to where they will be working for the next fifty years. As the scum bags exited the interrogation room they bowed deeply to Sakura and continued to ask for her forgiveness. We were all astounded, but Neji asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "Haruno-san, what did you do in there?"

"Hyuga-san, Morino-senpai is not the only one that has set foot in the T & I department. As you may recall, Ino is my best friend and has taught me a thing or two of what goes on. I simply reminded them of what they took from me and then demonstrated what I could be capable of under the wrong- I mean 'right' circumstances. These were my parents, some of my precious people, and I needed them to see what kind of people they were before they selfishly took their lives."

"But how did ya do it, they don't look worse than when we brought them in?" asked Kiba.

"Kiba-kun, if I were to do take my anger out on them, I would lose the little self-control that I have at the moment. A swift death is something that they do not deserve. Let them make up for what they did to a worthy cause and hopefully one day they will see the error of their ways. I entrust that you and Kakashi took care of that business for me, by the look of their condition, and for that I am most grateful."

_I don't think that anyone other than my Sakura could have had so much compassion in the face of such pain and suffering._

End Flashback

* * *

Kakashi's POV Continued

And here we are just the two of us about to visit the only living family that she has left.

I flare my chakra to announce to the guards that we are outside and they let us in. We walk in and Tsunade is at the table reading a medical report on shinobi casualties from this past week. We both walk over to her and I bow to her, "Hokage-sama, as Sakura's only living parent, I come here today to humbly ask for your blessing in the marriage of Sakura and myself. As the Hokage of our village I am here to inform you that I, Hatake Kakashi, Third Division Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces, ANBU Captain of Konohagakure swear to you that I will forevermore protect and provide for Haruno Sakura, Head Medic of Konohagakure and apprentice to the Godaime Hokage."

Tsunade calmly put her scrolls away and then looks at her apprentice in the eye, "Do you approve of this man's words? Will you entrust your heart to him? Will you stand by him at home as well as in the battlefield?"

I bow to her and say, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Well then now that the formalities are done, come here and let me congratulate the both of you." She approaches the both of us and gives us a hug. When she let's go of Kakashi, she looks at him directly and says in the most serious tone, "As her mother, I will only warn you once, hurt her and I kill you."

"I wouldn't expect nothing less." I quickly took out a scroll from my pocket and released it. In my hands were some origami cranes inside a carved wooden box decorated with turtles and cranes on the outside.

_I have to thank Yamato for the box, it was really beautifully crafted._

Tsunade looks down at the box and then tells me, "I see you are keeping to the traditions, so a yuino ceremony, hmnn… with yuinomon, classy choice Hatake. I see that yuinohin is also here." She looks at me and then says, "I promise to use this money for Sakura's wedding kimono and not gamble it away."

I try not to roll my eyes but fail miserably because Sakura gives me an extra tight squeeze on my hand. _I am grateful she didn't add any chakra to it or else she would have crushed my bones._ I manage to disentangle myself from her vice-like grip when I pleaded with my eyes and told her in a low voice that I will play nice. I then take out a bottle of a very expensive sake and hand it over to my future mother-in-law. When she takes a look at what I just gave her she squealed, "My favorite future son-in-law! You will be happy with my Sakura and give me lots of grandbabies!"

Ok so winning over the Hokage wasn't that big of a deal, Shizune had told me her favorite brand of sake, so it was just a matter of finding it and making sure that I gave it to her at the yuino. We had dinner together and talked about our plans for the ceremony. Sakura and I hadn't talked over any details or dates, we just wanted something simple, intimate and preferably as soon as possible. Tsunade, however, wanted an extravagant wedding equal to a village festival. She said that two of the best shinobi in Konoha were getting married, one of them being her adoptive daughter, so it was only natural for her to want a big event. We both managed to convince her that we were both uncomfortable with such attention and with the war going on, we only preferred to have the people who really mattered to us there. Three bottles of sake later and the Hokage finally agreed.

Before we left, Sakura asked Tsunade to meet with her tomorrow about a project that she was working on with Sai. I raised an eyebrow at her and gave her a questioning look. She said nothing and bid Tsunade goodnight before walking out of the tent. As I followed her outside I caught her wrist and asked her, "Sakura, is there something you want to tell me, I didn't know you were working on a project with Sai."

"No love, I just started working with Sai on it today. I have done some research on medically enhanced chakra ink and need to go over some things with Tsunade." She proceeds to tell me the detailed explanation of what she wants to do with it and I just look at her in awe and complete love.

_My Sakura... she will do just about anything to keep her precious people safe from harm._

We walk down to where her tent is and just before I kiss her goodnight she wraps her arms around my waist and buries her head on my chest. "Kakashi please stay with me tonight." I feel her tears wet the front of my shirt and I know that today must have brought back so many memories about her parents. I carry her bridal style inside her tent and instead of heading over to her bed, I take her to her desk where a picture of her parents sits next to her lamp. I pull out the chair next to the desk and place Sakura there. I pull out a set of paper cranes and origami turtles and place them in front of her parents picture. I pull down my mask and take of my hitai-ate and bow deeply to the picture of them both.

"Haruno-sama, I promise to take care of your daughter and love her for the rest of my life and even beyond that. I pray for your blessing of this marriage."

I hear Sakura gasp beside me and then all I feel are her arms wrap around my neck as she literally tackles me to the floor.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I had wondered why Kakashi sat me on the chair next to my desk instead of laying me on the bed, but when I saw what he was doing, I was overcome with emotion. He didn't forget about my parentes and he knew how much this meant to me. The cranes and turtles that were placed by my parents pictures were definitely of better quality paper than the ones he gave to Tsunade. They were beautifully decorated with an array of different colors. I was surprised that he would keep to the old traditions but deep down in my heart I was grateful, I'm sure Okasan would have approved of him. My mother's last letter to me before she passed away was all I could think of at the moment. She had written on it that one day a certain person that cherished me, and would forever keep me safe, would ask for my hand in marriage. If that person made me feel that I was the very reason for their next breath, that is the person that I would end up sharing my life with. At this moment I couldn't take another breath of air without having Kakashi beside me. He completed me in every way. There was no sadness when I was around him, just love and an overwhelming sense of protection and safety in his arms. I tackled him to the floor of my tent and kissed him all over his face. I felt his smile as he pulled back a little. He said to me, "What is it Sakura?"

"I love you Kakashi."

He managed to pick me up off the floor and carry me towards the bed. He laid me down and pulled up the covers and tucked me in. I held his hand and he laid down beside me on top of the blanket. He kissed my forehead and said, "Sleep my love, I will keep away any nightmares you might have and be here next to you."

"Promise?"

"Always" and with those words I closed my eyes and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

* * *

A/N: some translations (I got this info from the internet, my kid is doing a project on Japan so here is some info on some wedding traditions.)

yuino the engagement ceremony that involves the couple's parents and happens after groom has asked the bride to marry him. The groom and his parents visit the bride and her parents at her home or a restaurant.

yuinomon (gifts that are decorated with origami turtles and cranes, symbols of eternity and long life) are given to the bride's family from the groom and his family.

Yuinohin is money traditionally offered to the bride's family during the yuino

Thanks again for your reviews! This chapter was mostly all about Kakashi, but I couldn't resist, he is my all time favorite character (then Itachi, Gaara, Kiba, Sai, and Neji). I know that Kakashi was a little bit more blood lust filled during the flashback than what he is now, but that was two years ago, before he started "courting" Sakura officially. He was already feeling something for her at the beginning of the war but couldn't bring himself to admit it to her. Remember Sakura has changed his views on life and he is wanting Peace above all else. He doesn't want to share a world of violence and warfare with his new bride and possibly future family (Tsunade wants lots of grandbabies!). He want's to make sure them a peaceful environment where they can grow without fear and live in happiness.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 9

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Having Sakura sleep right next to me was such a comfort that I relaxed into her embrace and drifted off to sleep some time after midnight.

I woke up a couple of hours later, just before sunrise, to see the most angelic vision right next to me. Sakura's hair was all over the place, her arm had a near death grip on the front of my shirt and her leg was thrown over my thigh. She sighed in her sleep and murmured, "Kashi… you're... mine." I thought to myself_ 'feisty and impatient'_, yup that describes her right about now.

I turn my head and bury my nose in her hair and breath in her scent.

I whisper to her, "Always.." She stirs beneath my touch and opens her eyes slowly.

"Huh? Did you say something Kakashi?"

"Oh nothing I was just answering your questions while you were asleep."

Her blush began to seep into her cheeks, "I was talking in my sleep?"

I nodded.

"Are you going to tell me what I said?"

"Nope, that conversation was for my ears only, not my fault you were unconscious at the time." I smile at her and wink in her direction.

She then remembers that she just woke up and tries to tame her pink locks into submission with her fingers.

I get up from the bed and stretch. I then proceed to do my usual 200 push ups on the floor of her tent to warm up. She looks down at me and then proceeds to sit on my back as I continue to do my reps like nothing happened. She asks me, "Kakashi, are you willing to place the seal for my medical chakra on you."

"Of course love. If it will relieve some of your worry when I am gone on missions, I will gladly put whatever seal you want on me."

"You know, I couldn't live without you and I would forever blame myself if I couldn't do anything to help you."

I finish my push ups and quickly flip us over. I cradle Sakura's head in my hands and hover over her body. She looks at me with those deep emerald eyes and I swear I could see her very soul. She would be so hurt if anything happened to any of her precious people, but with the life we lead, there will be a time when no amount of chakra will bring us back. I kiss her lips softly and then tell her, "Love, I will do everything possible to keep, not only myself but everyone else safe, but you know that there will come a day-"

My words were cut off by her lips crashing into me. She pulled back and said with tears starting to form in her eyes, "I… I know, it's just… I have to try something."

"Sakura, I will always be with you. Look at your ring, my chakra is there and therefore, I will always be with you."

She pulls my head down and I kiss her with all the love that I can pour into one kiss. I feel her leg hitching up to my waist and I feel her body arch into mine. When I feel her tug at my hair to deepen the kiss, there is a flare of chakra right outside the tent.

"Damn…" we both say at the same time.

I look at her and she just blushes as I lift my mask back into place and straighten out my shirt.

"Go, get ready. I'll go check to see who is outside." She nods and goes over to her pack to get a change of clothes for the day.

I step outside the tent and come face to face with a serious looking Kiba, Sai, and Naruto.

"Yo" I say as I take in the sight before me.

"I told you! I smelled him over here" Kiba growls to the other two.

Naruto is fuming and Sai looks just about the same as always but there is a glint in his eyes that I haven't seen before.

Naruto grabs the front of my flak jacket and says, "Look Kaka-sensei I know that you and Sakura-chan are engaged but this is taking it too far, you guys are not even married yet!"

"I can smell her all over you, Kakashi-senpai" Kiba growls to my right.

Sai stands to my left and clutches his fists together. He then says, "She told me that your intentions were honorable, is this still the case?"

I was about to answer when a petite pink haired woman steps out of the tent and looks at the three idiots in front of me. From what I can tell she is livid because a vein is pulsing near her forehead.

"You idiots! What are you doing to my fiancé?!"

"But Sakura-chan… He was in your tent… and Kiba says he smells your scent all over him."

"Of course he smells like me, he slept with me-"

Next thing I now three fists connect with my jaw at the same time and all I see is darkness.

* * *

Sakura's POV

_Ok wrong choice of words. Inner Sakura stomps her foot and yells at me, "No shit genius! Cha!"_

I pull the three off of Kakashi and hit each of them on the head. I immediately start to heal him and then look over to the three semi-conscious guys on the floor next to me.

"If you would have let me finish telling you, I was going to tell you that I had a very emotional day yesterday and was missing my parents. Kakashi stayed in my tent but we didn't do anything. He kept me company because I asked him too. He has never taken advantage of me and what we do private is none of your business."

Kiba, Naruto and Sai start to get up and then bow towards me and Kakashi, "Gomen'nasai."

Kakashi's eyes open and I hand him his hitai-ate for him to place over his left eye. He looks at the three guys in front of him and says, "I'm glad that Sakura has three brothers that will continue to protect her." They were a little shocked at his words but Naruto smiles back at Kakashi and says, "Believe it!"

Well so much for a peaceful morning, I excuse myself and tell them I have to get to the medic tent for my shift. I leave the guys and disappear in a flurry of cherry blossoms. I arrive at the medic tent to see Tsunade waiting for me.

"Good morning Shishou."

She takes my hand and looks at the ring, "Ok, so yesterday did happen."

She looks at me and then says to me, "So what have you been working on."

I fill her in and explain to her what I need her help on.

"You know Sakura, I know for a fact that you will surpass me one day, if you haven't already. I really am proud of you."

Tsunade asks me when we plan to place the seals on myself and the guys, but I tell her that we need to complete Kakashi's Tsukuyomi before I can share any of my chakra. I need to keep my reserves at their highest for that jutsu.

She nods her agreement and then looks at me and says, "You know, Kakashi is a good man, he might be a little stubborn but you are just the same as he is. Take care of him after that technique that he will use. I heard that Uchiha Itachi had some complications with his sight every time he used it."

I looked at her with a questioning look but nodded and replied, "Hai."

Tsunade let me finish seeing my patients and told me that the Kage's had reached a decision and would need Kakashi and me to show up this afternoon for another meeting.

I nod and then went in search of medical scrolls that contained info on eye complications so I could review during lunch.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

"Naruto, can I talk to you for a second."

"Look Kaka-sensei, I said I'm sorry for hitting you, plus Sakura-chan didn't heal our injuries, just yours."

"No it's not about that. I need to talk to you about a specific thing that I need you to do when, and if, the Kage's agree to let us use the Tsukuyomi technique."

"Ok, but can we get something to eat, I'm starving"

"Yeah, but you are buying." I ruffle his hair like I used to.

"When the hell have you ever paid?!"

After a cup of instant ramen, courtesy of our rations pack _(I refused to give into the blond and buy him some),_ we go to the nearby lake and sit down by the shore.

"Naruto, I need to tell you that I am very proud of you."

"Huh?!"

"Look, all my life I have been told what to do, what to feel, what I shouldn't feel, and I am just tired of that. I see you and the way that you change what was once thought of as unchangeable. Look at what you have done for Gaara. Our village has recognized your abilities and have grown to love you. They no longer fear the unknown as much as they used to. Your ability to show love to others is remarkable because it is genuine and you inspire hope in others."

He looks down at his feet and starts playing with a blade of grass.

I give him a squeeze on his shoulder and tell him, "I know that your parents would have been proud of you."

"Kaka-sensei, you have hung around Gai-sensei for way too long." He gives me a nervous chuckle but I continue on, "No Naruto, Minato-sensei would have been extremely proud that his son might one day unify the Five Shinobi Nations."

He looked at me with mist filled eyes and then looked away quickly.

I let the words sink in and then I said, "Naruto, I am not going to torture a single person that comes under Tsukuyomi. I will let Kurama's chakra posses me and I will show them the things that you have done, the things that you have felt and how you overcame those obstacles. If anyone can change the most emotionally repressed shinobi's of this world, that person is you. I will also let my memories of your actions flow into the minds of the enemy and I will let them choose to follow you into times of peace or the possibility of having to face years of war like the ones that I faced as a boy. Some of the things that I witnessed as a boy, shaped the way that I am now. I am a broken man who has lost almost everything dear to him. Sakura has slowly changed my view of myself. When I was put in charge of your genin team I just thought that we were preparing another generation of shinobi to die for the village, but seeing you grow into the man who you are today I see that things can change, and change for the better. You give others hope; you give me hope."

Naruto had been smiling but then it quickly faded and I saw that his thoughts became clouded because his face had a streak of worry and apprehension.

"But, how can I lead people when I can't even bring back Sasuke!"

"One thing at a time. I have a plan to get Sasuke back but we can't put those plans in motion until we end this war."

"Ok Kakashi, I trust you. Believe it!"

* * *

A/N: Things are falling into place. I was really inspired by Hagoromo's views and the views of his son, Asura. I found it fitting to begin to weave in their views in what Kakashi is attempting to do. He is setting Naruto up to lead the villages in times of peace. Kakashi really cares for Naruto and believes in him and his abilities to change the Shinobi world for the better. Minato's influence on Kakashi is starting to come to the surface. He has always kept the Fourth's teachings close to his heart but rarely spoke of him. I think that losing him and Kushina while they were under his watch affected him as well. To Kakashi, all of the people that ever believed in him are dead now, so it has taken a lot of time to break that wall that has kept his heart closed off for so long. Special shout out to prescripto13 for her awesome reviews, it's like we are on the same wavelength, your input is highly valued and appreciated. Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 10

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Naruto and I make our way back to camp where the Hokage's ANBU guard stops me and informed me that my presence is required this afternoon because the Kage's will announce their decision about my plan.

I wave to naruto before heading over to the medic tent to see Sakura.

As I arrive I feel that her chakra is fluctuating and is flaring up. I walk into the tent to see her hugging Sai and murmuring how much _"she loved it"_. After this morning's encounter I was pretty sure that Sai would have enough sense to avoid her for a couple of days, but here he was. She turns around when she senses my chakra and then runs up to me and hands me the framed drawing that Sai had just given her. I look down at it and immediately recognize her ring and her hand, what startle me was that the hand that was interlaced with hers was mine. Every single scar on my knuckles, wrists and palms were displayed in the drawing.

_Sai really is a master at capturing every detail._

"I read that it is customary to give gifts to the engaged couple" he said with a steady relaxed voice.

I nod and say, "Sai, thank you for this. It really is a work of art. Tell me one thing, how did you draw this if we never posed for you?"

"Sakura had shown me her ring and I had her place her hands in a certain way for me to capture the essence of the drawing. All I had to do was fill in the drawing with your hand and I did that from memory."

Sakura looked closely at the picture and then looked up at Sai, "But Sai, every scar on Kakashi's hand is in the exact spot on the drawing. You truly have a gift and an eye for detail."

He nods and then bows to us and excuses himself from the tent.

I turn to Sakura and ask, "So when did he start calling you by your real name instead of those awful nicknames."

She beamed at me and said, "Yesterday, when he helped me out with the inks for the seals. I guess that he was surprised that I would go to such lengths to help out my family. Maybe that is why he overreacted this morning. He even told me if he cared about me! Can you believe it? I think we are definitely progressing with his emotional issues."

We walk hand in hand from the medical tent and head over to Sakura's tent to drop off the drawing before heading over to the war room headquarters.

* * *

Sakura's POV

We walk into the war room headquarters and are asked to take a seat, while everyone else arrives.

When everyone has settled down, the five Kages stand up and the room falls silent.

All of the Kages look directly at Kakashi and then Tsunade-shishou steps forward and says, "Hatake Kakashi, as a shinobi of Konohagakure, I, Senju Tsunade, along with the expressed consent of the Kages present, give you permission to use this technique with the sole purpose of disabling the enemy. You are under no circumstances to use this technique against the allied countries under the penalty of death. Do you understand these terms."

Kakashi bows deeply to all five Kages and then says, "I understand and accept."

We are then led to the room next to the war room, it looked like the intelligence unit. Nara Shikamaru was at the nearby table looking over some maps. He looked up when we entered and greeted us both by bowing slightly and saying, "Kakashi-senpai, Sakura-san, as head of the Nara clan I would personally like to congratulate you on your engagement."

_Boy, word travels fast!_

I stood next to him and bump him on his arm with my fist, "Oh come on Shika you don't have to be so formal, but thank you very much. Now, tell me what's up with these maps?"

Kakashi and I listened to Shikamaru's extensive tactical plan. I could tell that Kakashi wanted to pull out _Icha Icha_ by minute 13 of his long and very detailed speech, but I held his hand in mine and only heard him sigh in acknowledgement.

When Shikamaru finished, Kakashi countered about half of Shikamaru's plans and gave him an equally detailed speech about what could go wrong in said situations.

With both geniuses at work, I was starting to want to read _Icha Icha_ myself. At least I could understand the premise of the situation there.

_Oh Kami, what am I thinking?_

Inner Sakura chuckles at my thoughts,_ "I told you! Cha! You're just as perverted as he is."_

I stand up from my chair and stroll up to the table where the maps are on. I start strumming my fingers across the table to get the attention of the most brilliant minds in all of Konoha. They both look at me and I pull out a kunai and stab it in a certain spot on the map and embed it on the table. I look at them and say, "If you don't mind, this spot will give us a better view of the enemy shinobi that are coming at us, while keeping our forces slightly protected by the terrain to the right. This will effectively remove any chance of an outflanking maneuver by the enemy nin and give us enough cover to set up a base here on the left. Our sensory ninja can be situated here, here and here _(I say pointing on several spots on the map)._ This spot will also give me an advantage when I summon Katsuyu, so Hinata-chan can give me the precise location of our injured while overlooking the field."

Kakashi and Shikamaru contemplate my plan for a few seconds and when they see very few flaws in my plan they agree on my course of action.

"Wow, Sakura when did you become a tactician" Shikamaru asked.

"Look Shika, as a medic I need to know where I can set up medical tents and be the most effective, while still relatively protected, in battle. I cannot risk the lives of the medic nin in an all front assault, many more shinobi would die from no medical care if that were the case. So, I figured if we use that plan of strategy we cut the amount of enemy nin that can pass the front lines, while having natural barriers to protect the back."

Kakashi nodded in agreement and told Shikamaru, "Well, now that we settled strategy, we will gather the commanders and rally all the divisions and prepare to attack."

I try to stifle a yawn but Kakashi notices and then suddenly pulls me into his chest and starts his teleportation jutsu. I manage to say goodbye to Shikamaru before we are teleported away.

We arrive just outside my tent and Kakashi whispers in my ear, "Why didn't you tell me that we were boring you."

"You weren't boring me, I just felt that both of you geniuses were over thinking it, and neither of you bothered to ask my opinion. I am Head Medic of the Allied Shinobi Forces for a reason, you know."

"My apologies ma'am, I did not mean to offend you." Kakashi lowers his voice and leans over and whispers next to my ear, "I could try to make up for my actions…" and he begins to kiss my neck towards my jaw line. I knew that he had taken off his mask because I felt his breath on my collarbone and his teeth lightly nip at my earlobe.

A shudder runs down my spine with each of his kisses and I bend my neck to the side to give Kakashi better access as he wraps his arms around my waist.

We both enter my tent in a tangled mess of arms all over each other and fall into my bed.

One of Kakashi's hands is firmly entangled in my hair while his other hand is working its way down my arm to my waist. He holds me firmly in place with his grip on my hip and as I moan into his kiss, he responds with a growl deep in his chest. I wrap my hands around his waist, underneath his shirt as I try to hook one of my fingers on the edge of his pants. He grinds his hips into mine and whispers, "Sakura you are divine… ahh!" I respond by raking my fingernails over his back. As he opens his mouth I take advantage and take his bottom lip between my teeth, tugging at it slowly. He begins to deepen the kiss and runs his tongue over my lips asking permission to enter. I part my lips and he really begins to take control of the kiss. I see stars with each searing kiss that he gives me. He only pulls back to let me take a breath while he says in a sinfully seductive voice, "I love you Sakura." I look into his eyes and expect them to be full of lust but I only see pure devotion and love.

_Kami, I could get lost in his beautiful mismatched eyes._

His dark grey eye is intense but deep and full of love, like he is bearing his soul to me. His Sharingan is hypnotic but I don't get a sense of danger from looking directly at it. It's quite the opposite really, I get a sense of protectiveness from his crimson orb.

As his hand starts travelling up from my hip to small of my back, we both hear a rustling movement within my tent. Both of us are suddenly alert and stand up in a defensive stance holding the kunai and shuriken that I had underneath my pillow.

We look around and I see a trail of sand traveling underneath the flaps of my tent carrying an envelope.

Kakashi takes a look at the sand and we both look at each other and say in unison, "Damn it Gaara!"

I slump back down on the bed and ask Kakashi what is written in the card.

He opens it up and reads it quickly.

"Looks like we have an appointment with the Kazekage in a couple of minutes so he can insert his sand into our wrists. He said he needs some time for his sand to get used to our chakra natures so he wants to do this as soon as possible."

"Ugh… I guess we have to go see Kazekage-sama now huh?"

"Yeah, he doesn't want us to have a reaction to his sand while in the battlefield so he prefers us to get accustomed to it within the next 24 hours."

Inner Sakura yells, _"Well you can tell Mr. Sandman where he can stick his sand… How dare he interrupt us, we were finally getting to the good part! CHA!"_

I sigh in defeat and shakily stand up _(I was still recovering from the intense make out session with Kakashi)_. He holds out his hand to steady me and kisses my forehead. He says, "Don't worry love, I know exactly how you feel."

He squeezes my hand and we set off in the direction of Gaara's tent.

* * *

A/N: Ok, I will be honest, this is my first fanfic so I am in uncharted territory in writing a love scene. I hope I am at least headed in the right direction in that department. It is hard writing a lust filled scene between a character that is clearly trying to hold back and one that is eager to receive. Writing that, was like a war of its own, how much was Kakashi willing to give yet hold back at the same time because as much as he wants her now, he wants her first time to be special. Please, any suggestions on how to improve in that plot of the story, inbox me. Here is a hint on where the story is going to all of my faithful readers out there: this war is the catalyst of Sakura and Kakashi's real love story. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are far from over. I think we are just about ⅓ of the way done. As much as I hate to write it, there will be tears up ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 11

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We stand in front of the Kazekage's private tent and flare both of our chakras announcing our arrival. The guards let us in and Gaara stands up from his desk and walks over to us.

He greets us with a nod and says, "Kakashi-san, Sakura-san, please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Would you like some tea?" He waves his hand towards a nearby table already set up for us, from the look of the three cups on the tray.

Sakura and I bow slightly and I say, "Thank you Gaara-sama."

We take our seats around the table and Gaara looks directly at me as Sakura passes out the tea.

"Kakashi-san, Naruto came over not too long ago and explained what you plan to do with Tsukuyomi. I must admit your motives and intentions are honorable but you must also know that it is difficult for people who know only war to choose the right path. From first hand experience, I can assure you that sometimes it takes years of work, on the part of the individual shinobi, to change their mind on their own. Naruto is charismatic and people tend to follow him, but he cannot do everything on his own."

"With all do respect, the right path is never walked alone. Take yourself as an example in this situation, as a child you had no one to care or love you, so you turned to anger. When you fought Naruto he changed something in you and you were able to take the first step, but you didn't walk the rest of the path alone. Kankuro-san and Tamari-san were there for you. That is the support network that has been established around you and they are willing to share your burden. Konoha has been there for Suna since you and Naruto formed a bond. So the path that you started alone, became intertwined with your siblings, then your village, then Konoha, and now the Five Great Shinobi Nations. In Konoha this is known as the Will of Fire, because we are all family and will fight to keep our comrades safe."

He nodded and said, "Naruto has had a great sensei, because he told me the same thing."

Inside I feel great pride in Naruto's way of thinking and know that I was correct in putting my trust and faith in the Fourth's son.

Gaara continued to eye me and then said, "Tell me Kakashi-san, this technique could change the way of life in all of the shinobi that are affected. This amount of power and control is remarkable so, why would you pass on the opportunity for complete control of a shinobi force with this special technique?"

I raise my eyebrow, but Sakura notices my fist clenching and gently sends soothing chakra into me.

I take in a deep breath and say, "Kazekage-sama, life is not about power and control. Look around you, I have double the field and life experience that you have, yet I am not a Kage even though I had been previously offered the position. You are the youngest Kazekage in your village's history and a previous jinchuriki, Sakura here, is the second best medic in the world who helped bring you back from the dead. There is power here, in this very tent, there is no need for us to crave power because we have it already. What we lack is greed. I do not believe it is my place to continue to lead the next generation. That torch has already been passed onto your generation. I have committed many atrocious acts for the sake and safety of my village, but now is the time for all of you to learn from our mistakes and make a better tomorrow. My job, is to make amends for what I have done in the past and support the leaders of the future. What kind of world will we leave to our most precious people if we don't solve this now?"

Sakura held my hand and then said, "Gaara-sama, as Kakashi said to before, the Will of Fire means that we will fight against insurmountable odds to protect the hopes and dreams of the future generations. We lose everything if we don't protect that. Not everyone is cut out to lead, fight or heal, but we have faith in Naruto. We know that he can make people believe in the Will of Fire that keeps us moving forward. His heart has been through many similar situations that you had been through as a jinchuriki, but he never gave up and continues to work hard for his dreams. I have never seen him put himself before anyone of his friends and I know that when he becomes Hokage, he will lead us in peace and prosperity because there is only love in his heart."

Gaara looked down and then whispered, "I am glad that Naruto has the both of you as family. I heard many great things about the Fourth and his jinchuriki wife, Lady Kushina, but since they are no longer with us, I am glad that he found a family in you. Naruto made me see what my anger was doing to my siblings and I, like you Kakashi-san, have many things to make amends for in this life."

He stood up and walked over to his desk and brought over a kunai. He then swirled his sand around him and began meditating for a couple of minutes. When he finished he opened his eyes and asked me and Sakura to hold out our wrists. He made quick work and scratched the kanji symbol for love, similar to the one on his forehead, on our right wrists. The cuts were not deep at all, just merely scratches. His sand swirled around him and then around both Sakura and myself as the sand began to cover the exposed skin, becoming one with the blood.

_I have to admit, Gaara's chakra nature burns as hot as midday in Suna, but then cools down just like the temperature drops during the night in the desert._

As his sand dissipates, he looks over at Sakura and says that she can heal the scratch if she wishes, so as not to have it scar over. She nods and then places her hand on my wrist first to heal me and then she proceeds to heal herself.

When we finish, we bid him goodnight and walk back to Sakura's tent.

When we get there she looks at me and says, "Kakashi, will this technique hurt you… I mean physically… will it hurt your eye?"

Her emerald eyes give me an imploring look and I cannot keep it from her anymore.

_Tsunade must have warned her somehow._

I sigh and look down at our joined hands.

"Sakura, I don't want you to worry, but there is a high probability that I might lose the Sharingan because of the sheer number of people who will be under its effect."

She grips my hands tighter and then I feel her tears start to fall.

"No, please don't… Sakura I am sorry, I know I should have told you earlier, but I don't want you to worry."

"Worry! Kami- that doesn't even begin to describe what I would feel. If you lost your eye during the jutsu and I didn't know what is going on I could lose concentration and cause some major damage to you or to the other shinobi that I will be treating at the same time! Kakashi, you out of all people should know that a medic needs all the information to be able to treat and diagnose properly. I'm not angry as much as I am disappointed that you would think that I couldn't handle this information."

I wipe away her tears and look at her, "I am so sorry love, please forgive me." I had already taken off my mask and hitai-ate. I gently guide her to the edge of the bed and I kneel in front of her on the floor. I look up and tell her, "I am ready to lose this eye if it means that we can end this war. I have talked with Tsunade about this and I believe that this will also help Sasuke."

"Sasuke! What the hell does this have to do with him? I really don't think that he will come back willingly just because you no longer have the Sharingan."

"No, Sakura that's not what I meant. Sasuke is a lot like me when I was young. He only thinks that there is one path in life and I want him to see that Konoha, Naruto's Konoha, will not use him, or the Sharingan, as a mere tool in a quest for complete power. That is were Danzo was wrong and lost sight of how to protect the village. Yes, we as shinobi are tools to be used at the discretion of our respective Kages, but Naruto wants to change the system that is in place. That very system has put so much pressure on clan heirs and the rivalry between clans has gotten to a point where the clan heads cannot trust each other. Naruto holds the Will of Fire within him, and he truly sees Sasuke as his brother, he will make Sasuke see that your generation is changing things. There will never be a need to wipe out a clan. Sasuke is this way because of Itachi's actions. He lost everything as a kid, just like me, his plan to revive his clan is what is keeping him moving forward. I know that deep down he wants to change the system as much as I do, and for that, I need to give him a chance to change. My time is drawing to a close, but Naruto and Sasuke need each other. Their rivalry is what has pushed them to where they are now. Could you imagine a Konoha with the three of you at the head. Naruto's charisma and leadership, with Sasuke's discipline and fierceness, coupled with your caring nature and healing abilities. I can't even begin to think of those possibilities; your generation of clan heirs already considers each other family so it would be an easy transition for the Yamanaka's, Nara's, Inuzuka's, Hyuga's, Akimichi's, Aburame's, Uzumaki's, and Uchihas-"

She cuts me off to add, "and the Hatake's"

I sigh, "Yes and the Hatake's, to get along and work together to protect future generations of its own people, as opposed to fighting with each other. That is the day that I can finally complete my promise to my sensei and consider my job done."

I feel that she has relaxed some because she willingly came down to where I was kneeling and wrapped her arms around me.

"Kakashi, your job won't be over then. It will only have started.."

I look at her puzzled.

"Don't you want to have children… with me?"

"Oh Sakura," I kiss her forehead, "of course I do. I pray that Kami-sama might one day bless us with a child of our own. Now that is a job that I would never refuse and will fulfill to the best of my abilities."

Sakura sighs into my chest and I pick her up and place her on the bed again.

"Love, you are tired, please sleep."

"Only if you stay here Kashi." Her voice sounds relaxed and her breaths begin to even out and I know that it won't be long until she falls asleep.

I close my eyes only to be rewarded of images of Sakura as she always appears in my dreams, smiling, happy and surrounded by our family.

* * *

Sakura's POV

He had been asleep for about two hours, when I started weaving some of my soothing chakra right into his chest. I made him fall into a deeper sleep. It felt weird seeing Kakashi almost comatose, and I didn't like it one bit. I never liked seeing him unconscious before, but I needed him to be absolutely still for what I needed to do.

I interlaced my chakra with his and ran a check of his chakra coils in his system. I then guided my chakra to his Sharingan and started healing the already tense and slightly damaged nerves. When I decided that his eye was healed, I took out the chakra enhanced ink and started forming the hand signs that were needed. The seal that I was placing on him is not what I planed to use on Naruto, Sai, or Kiba. His was unique, and it binded me to him in a way that no one could ever compare. I felt the pull of his chakra and released some of mine into the seal that I was placing on his heart. The ink seeped through his chest and found its way into the arteries and around the entire tissue. The seal that I placed there would only be known to me for the time being.

I begin to pull my chakra out slowly and whisper to him, "I will protect your heart with my life."

* * *

A/N: So, hope everyone is liking the story so far. I hate that Sakura is going to keep this from him, but if he ever knew the extent of what she promised, Kakashi would have never let her place that specific seal on him. The last battle of the war is getting close. Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 12

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I woke up from a nightmare that I was having… well… I thought I was having… It felt so real. Sakura lay clutching my shirt, curled up in a fetal position. Her lower lip was trembling and I saw a tear roll down from her closed right eye.

She whispered, "Kashi… No… Please don't leave me."

I felt my heart clench and I started feeling some moisture well up on my right eye.

_What is going on?_

I gently start rubbing her arms, trying to wake her up.

"Sakura, it's me. I'm right here, love, please wake up."

She starts raising her voice still wrapped up in her nightmare, "NO! Stop… Let me… go... Kashi… needs… me."

I felt my heart clench again and I feel a sense of panic start somewhere deep inside me for some reason.

"Love, I am here! Please wake up, Sakura, wake up!"

I start kissing her face and rub her back.

She finally starts to open her eyes and her trembling body starts to relax into my embrace and I start feeling a bit of relief.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

"Now I am, please… please hold me for a little while."

I hug her and she curls up into a small little ball while she is sitting on my lap. Her shoulders are somewhat tense though and she is still slightly trembling.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Kakashi, it was just a nightmare, I'm sorry for waking you, but I am fine now that I have you here."

_Like hell, I haven't seen her have this kind of nightmare since her parents died._

I bite my finger and do the proper seals and summon my pack of ninken.

Pakkun is the first to speak out of the pack, "What's up Boss?"

I look down at Sakura and the dogs immediately surround us. They go one by one to Sakura and rub their heads on her shoulder offering her some support.

She looks down at Pakkun and the pack and smiles gently at them. Her trembling is subsiding and I can see her get back to her usual cheerful self. Before I know it, she is giving them belly rubs and is laughing as they lick her face in appreciation.

I stand up and let them know that I'm gonna get us some breakfast, but I am completely ignored because Sakura's attention is directed at Bull telling her an embarrassing story of how they had to 'save' me plenty of times when I was in ANBU.

_I'm never going to hear the end of this._

I make a quick stop at my tent to take a quick shower and change my clothes. As I am putting my mask back on I take a sniff at myself. What is that scent? I just got out of the shower and I usually don't pay attention to how I smell afterwards but today is different. I smell a hint of fresh rain and jasmine, just like Sakura. My natural scent has been described by Pakkun as a forest during a lightning storm (_I have no idea why Pakkun says he can actually smell lightning, but that's a ninken's nose for you)._

This new scent on me is pleasant and sort of peaceful.

It must be because I have slept over at her tent the last couple of nights.

I'll have to talk to Pakkun, or even Kiba, later to see what they smell.

_Scratch that I will avoid Kiba for the next few days._

I stop by the tent where they are handing out breakfast and grab a couple of to-go rations and some fruit. Before I leave Genma waves me over to his bench where Anko, Yamato and Gai are eating breakfast.

Yamato stands and bows slightly, "Congratulations on your engagement to Sakura-chan, Kakashi-taichou."

Gai stands up and gives me the 'nice guy pose', "I see the eternal blossom of youth is still at work in you, my eternal rival."

_Not this again._

Genma smirks at Gai's comment and before the Green Beast can continue on in a long-winded speech about youth or whatnot, he squeezes my shoulder and says, "Hey man, congrats on your engagement. Be good to Sakura, she is like Shizune's little sister and if you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Genma had finally settled down with Shizune and had been married a year and a half ago. That idiot had almost gotten killed in an ambush and as we brought him back he proposed to Shizune between consciousness before they operated on him. Tsunade almost killed him right then and there because she thought he wasn't being serious. He managed to pull out a ring from his flak jacket before passing out. _Talk about romantic._

Anko, however, just frowned and made the remark about 'Hatake is officially off the market' under her breath, but when I glared at her, she smiled and said, "Congrats!"

I nodded to them and then let them know that Sakura was with my ninken and they were probably about to send a search party for the food if I didn't return with breakfast.

* * *

Sakura's POV

Kakashi finally gets here with our food and before the he gets tackled by his pack of dogs, he tosses some of the fruit in my direction. I catch it with ease and start eating. After his dogs are fed, he comes over and kisses my forehead.

"Feeling better, love?"

"Yes, and before you ask, no I'm not going to tell you about the nightmare. I'm fine now and we have to focus on the battle up ahead. Do we know when we are going to the front lines?"

"Not as of now, I managed to arrange some training time with Hinata, Ino, Kiba, and Naruto. Gaara cannot attend but he assures us that since his sand hasn't rejected us yet, we should be fine in battle from his point of view. I want you to concentrate on Hinata and the Byakugan. I'll train with Ino and her mind interrogations skills and then I'll have Naruto train with Kiba and his shadow clones."

"That sounds like a plan."

(at the training grounds)

"S-Sakura, that was intense. I… I had no idea that you could channel your healing chakra like that and focus it through the Byakugan." Hinata said almost exhausted from out training.

I told her that if this works out then we should probably continue to train in this form of medical treatment. The Byakugan can be a really helpful tool for a medic, and Hinata's medical skills had improved by leaps and bounds within the last two years. Shizune had taken her under her wing and had taught Hinata when she could.

I look over to my right and Kakashi and Ino sit in a meditative stance underneath a set of trees. I guess the mental training is taking its toll on Ino because she is sweating and her hands are slightly trembling.

To my left, all I see are blurs of a lot of orange, a single black and grey blur accompanied by a large white streak. Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru were going all out. They were extremely fast and I can see how Kiba had become ANBU captain before the war had started. Kiba moved in sync with Akamaru and it looked graceful and deadly all at the same time.

As the training ended, I see Sai stroll up to us and hand us each a scroll marked with the Konoha symbol on front. He said that it was a special delivery from a friend back home. We release the scrolls each and a steaming bowl of Ichiraku's special ramen is before our very eyes. Kakashi got the scroll with the note from Teuchi and Ayame addressed to all of us. Teuchi said that if can't help protect the village by fighting along them, he would send a little of Konoha to them and hopefully warm their hearts as well as their stomachs. Naruto was on the verge of tears by the sight before him. The scroll addressed to Naruto contained 10 steaming hot bowls of ramen. Naruto will never change and I hope he never does. I push Hinata over to where Naruto is so she can 'help' clean off a stray noodle that managed to escape his mouth and is stuck to his whiskered cheek at the moment. She is no longer a stammering mess like she used to but she still cannot control that blush when she is around the knucklehead ninja.

Kakashi comes over to sit next to me and I lean my head on his shoulder. I feel so content right now but I know that we will be probably sent to the front lines any minute now. I try not to think that this is the calm before the storm. Why else would shishou risk communications with Konoha over a couple of bowls of ramen. I now she is trying to keep the moral up right before a major battle.

I sigh and look up towards my future husband of mine and kiss his cheek gently. I whisper, "Kashi, it won't be long until we are sent to the front lines, huh?"

"No love it won't be long." He pauses for a moment and then looks at me, "Sakura, there have been some reports that Sasuke is in the area."

I gasp and before I can say anything he kisses my lips and says, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. You need to concentrate at what is going to happen during the next battle. Neji and Shikamaru have been tracking his movements and he hasn't made any outright attacks. It looks like he is just gathering intelligence on us so far."

I look at him and then lean in and whisper in his ear, "Thank you for telling me Kashi, does Naruto know yet?"

"Not yet love, and Tsunade doesn't want to leak this information to him just yet."

We finish our ramen and say goodbye to our friends in good spirits. Kakashi started leading me to my tent but I veered off and went to the makeshift memorial wall with Kakashi holding on to my waist. I looked over the list of names that I had already memorized and vowed to them that we would try our hardest to end this soon and not let their sacrifices be in vain.

Kakashi must have felt what I was thinking too because we both put our hands on the wall at the same time and said almost in unison, "No more…"

* * *

A/N: I just loved giving the group a little bit of home before they are sent to the front lines. I added a tease of Sasuke there and I couldn't stop myself and have Genma settle down with Shizune. Hope you guys review! I hope some of you have caught on to the little hints that I have placed here and there all throughout the chapters so far. They will all make sense in the end.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 13

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We get to the front lines around 3 am and there is an eerie feeling around the field. Everyone is on high alert. Our division had gotten there a couple of hours earlier and had set up all the strategic points in the dead of night. By the time that the sun rose, we only had to finish setting up the medic tents and temporary headquarters. The sensory ninja had already been patrolling the surroundings and we knew that the enemy forces were not too far from where we were.

Our small group needed to be the first that the enemy encountered and for that we needed to be in the front. The genjutsu type ninjas provided us some cover and we set up our position.

Gaara had spread his sand around our group in a circle so that his ultimate defense technique could take out any incoming projectiles while he protected the front.

Kiba and Akamaru circled us like they were a pack of wolves, on constant alert and ever vigilant of any activity.

Naruto was placed in between Sakura and myself, so he could keep his hands in constant contact on our shoulders to be able to share Kurama's chakra.

Sakura kept her right hand on my left temple and faced backwards towards the field where our troops were ready.

Ino stood to my right hand side and would have a perfect view of the ninja under Tsukuyomi and be able to infiltrate their minds.

Hinata was next to Sakura and kept in constant contact with her right wrist. Katsuyu had been already summoned and had her smaller slugs in strategic locations within our field.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I felt Hinata's hand slightly tremble, not from fear of the enemy but from the tremendous pressure that we put on ourselves to protect and save as many shinobi that we could. I squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

We felt Neji's chakra signature coming fast towards us from the tree line. As he appeared in full ANBU uniform he landed next to Kakashi and whispered something to him. Kakashi only nodded and kept looking towards the trees. Neji then looked at our group and informed us that the enemy was closing in fast and that we should be ready.

Kiba growled and said, "They are about 2 km from here, there must have been an earlier fight because I can smell some Katon jutsus that were set off in that direction."

Naruto's eyes went wide, "Katon jutsu, could it be…"

I yelled at him, "Baka, now is not the time, we need to concentrate on what we are about to do."

Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm him down so he could begin placing the chakra cloaks around us.

I concentrate my chakra and my Strength of a Hundred Seal appears on my forehead and I am just waiting to release it.

We start hearing some clashing of weapons within the area and then watch as an array of kunai and shuriken are being thrown our way.

Gaara's sand immediately repels the objects and Kiba yells at us, "They are 100 meters away, get ready."

I inwardly tell Inner Sakura, "Please take care of Kashi for us. Don't let him get hurt."

She nods and then tells me, _"Cha! He is as important to me, as he is to you."_

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I activate Tsukuyomi and begin to start trapping whoever emerges from the tree line within its own world.

I immediately feel the strain placed on the Sharingan, and then I feel the soothing chakra that could only belong to Sakura.

The strain is relieved and I continue to look a the eyes of the ninja that are coming towards us.

Ino began infiltrating some of their minds to collect the information that Morino Ibiki had requested.

My Sharingan began entrapping enemy shinobi as if it had a mind of its own and I began to recede further into my mind. I could feel Naruto's chakra flowing freely into mine and before I knew it I was before Kurama in my mindscape. He looked down at me and then snarled and said, "Hatake Kakashi, you protected my current and previous host, I have seen your nature and even though you wield that damn Sharingan, I will offer you now the same protection and support that I offer this loud ass brat."

I never take my eyes off him but thank him for his support. He said that he had thought over the plan that I had previously approached Naruto with, and he approved.

Kurama begins to take over and his memories of the hurt and pain that Naruto faced as a child were transferred into the ninja ensnared within the jutsu. Those memories were manifested as physical emotions due to Tsukuyomi and many of the ninja began crying like children. Kurama then showed the resolve and determination that Naruto felt when he was around his friends. His dreams and aspirations of becoming Hokage were also felt within the ninja in this mindscape. The very bonds that he held between his friends were amplified and the sense of the Will of Fire was distributed to every ninja present.

Kurama then directed Naruto's own mind to enter through my own and make his presence known to all.

_I have never felt my head as crowded as it is now._

* * *

Sakura's POV

Kiba began fighting off any ninja that came too close to us.

The ninjas that were not caught within Tsukuyomi were held off by our troops. I began to concentrate on Katsuyu's slugs around the field and Hinata began directing my sight towards the injured.

I was tempted to check in on Inner Sakura, and how Kakashi was doing, but I just couldn't break concentration.

When the injured began to increase in numbers, I began to release my Strength of a Hundred Seal and my healing chakra spread to all the injured. Naruto's chakra kept both me and Inner Sakura's chakra completely replenished.

I yelled at Gaara and Kiba to try to get the enemy nin within the line of sight of Kakashi's Sharingan. I only heard a growl and a 'hnn' which I took as an acknowledgement on their part.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Naruto began speaking through my jutsu to the enemy ninja that were captivated in my mindscape. He, being Naruto, was changing the minds of the ninja by just being himself and explaining that his love for his friends is what made him strong.

I looked on and then allowed my memories of the Third Shinobi War to fill the minds of those present. I told them of my losses and how power doesn't equate a happy or fulfilled life. I then told them that if peace wasn't achieved this would be their immediate future. I immediately inundated them with my wartime memories, my feelings, my sense of hopelessness and how I sometimes just wanted to die. Some of the enemy ninja were just mere teenagers and had never experience firsthand the loss in the magnitude that I had. They were visibly shaken and I could feel their resolve in how they wanted to change.

I would slowly release those nin from the jutsu and continue on with the many other ninja that were becoming entrapped as the battle progressed.

* * *

Sakura's POV

The men that came out of Kakashi's Tsukuyomi immediately dropped unconscious where they stood. I sent some slugs to check on them and when I found no injuries, I instructed Kiba to tell the other's not to harm the men that were unconscious.

The battle progressed and I could see that the enemy was not charging at us like they did before. I began to think that we were going to be ok when I suddenly felt a chakra signature that I hadn't felt in a long time.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

My eye began to bleed and I knew that Inner Sakura was doing her best to continue to heal it.

I suddenly felt a very familiar chakra signature nearby.

_Kami... please not right now._

The number of ninja that were under Tsukuyomi were becoming less and less. I believe that we were winning but, that specific chakra that I felt was always just outside the reach of my jutsu.

* * *

Inner Sakura's POV

_Oh shit, what is going on, his eye is becoming unstable… I don't know how long I can keep this up._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Kurama suddenly roared and told me that we needed to wrap this up as soon as possible. Naruto had been talking with some ninja still under the effects but quickly caught on to what was going on and finished with them. I felt the jutsu become unsteady and I yelled at Kurama to take Naruto back into his own mind.

After that, I began to release the ninja under the jutsu. I felt a sharp burning pain in my left eye, like if someone had poured hot acid in my skull. I heard Sakura scream in the background before I lost consciousness.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel Kakashi's body hit the floor with an audible thump and then I hear Inner Sakura scream in my head, _"Kakashi!"_.

I turn around to see Kakashi sprawled on the floor with blood oozing out of his left eye. I immediately begin to start healing his eye but when I begin to insert my chakra I feel that there is little to work with. It is as if his eye dissolved. I start to work quickly while he is still unconscious and I begin to weave some of his original eye cells from his right eye and transfer them to his left eye. My chakra is running a bit low now and I yell at Naruto to lend me some more chakra. Naruto begins to cloak the both of us with his chakra as I begin to heal him. As my hand starts to waver, Inner Sakura takes over and continues while I try to rein in my emotions and then take over again. The whole procedure takes a couple of hours and since I can't move him I have to do with what I have on the field.

"Kashi, you have to be ok, please love, wake up."

I start to panic when he doesn't wake up. Once I finished the procedure and I bandaged his eye closed I held him and teleported us to Tsunade's tent.

"Shishou, please help me!"

"Sakura, please move out-of-the-way."

Tsunade starts working on him and when she sees all of the work that I did, she sighs and then looks at me, "Sakura what you did… it was perfectly executed, there is nothing more that I can do. We just have to wait until he wakes up."

An ANBU guard appears within the tent and then reports to Tsunade, "Hokage-sama, the injured have been place in the medical tents, the enemy nin are still unconscious but we have taken them into a part of the camp where we can evaluate their intentions when they wake up, and for the most part it looks like the majority of the enemy nin have been neutralized or incapacitated."

She nods but then asks, "Wait, what about the other situation."

He bows deeply and then says, "I am afraid Hokage-sama that Uchiha Sasuke managed to escape the perimeter that our captain set up."

"Casualty report?"

"It is impressive, there were no fatal injuries on the part of the Allied Shinobi Forces."

He bows deeply to me and then says, "Haruno-sama, your technique saved many lives today. The troops are indebted to you."

"You tell them that no one owes me anything, we did this because the Will of Fire is strong in us and we will never leave a comrade behind."

I look at the man who I love that is still unconscious on shishou's desk and mentally thank him for being the one that taught me that lesson all of those years ago.

When the ANBU guard leaves, shishou looks at me and then says, "Take him. Both of you rest. I will make sure that no one bothers you for the next 24 hours."

Instead of bowing to her, I go and give her a hug. She knows that I was on the verge of losing it a while ago so she rubs my back and gently tells me, "I am so proud of you Sakura."

I smile at her and go grab Kakashi and with a swirl of cherry blossom petals we disappear from her tent.

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry if the fight seen lacked action. Please send me some suggestions via inbox if anyone cares to help. I will have another fight scene coming up and that one has to be brutally intense. Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 14

* * *

Sakura's POV

We arrive at my tent and I gently place Kakashi on my bed. I fix his bandage and pull off his mask. He looks years younger when he is asleep. I take off his sandals and pull up the blanket up to his chest. I take a seat at the edge of the bed and look at his unconscious form, he looks so peaceful now, like as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

"Kashi, I hope that losing your Sharingan is worth it in the end…"

I get a wash basin and fill it with warm water and place some towels underneath his head. Kakashi's clothes are caked with mud and the blood that dripped from his eye. I take the wash cloth and began to wash his face taking great care around his healing eye.

_I wonder if I managed to save his sight as well._

Shishou's advice sure came in handy, and I must thank her the next time I see her. The day that she mentioned Uchiha Itachi's eye problems after using Tsukuyomi is the day that I dove into research about any possible eye problems that could occur. I already knew how to regrow cells from a genetic level, so I coupled that knowledge along with my research and managed to borrow some cells from Kakashi's existing eye to clone them and insert them where he once held the Sharingan. My earlier healing of his Sharingan had allowed me to map out the exact position of his chakra pathways so attaching the nerves wasn't that big of deal. The only thing that I couldn't guarantee was if he would actually have sight in the newly reconstructed eye.

As I finish washing his face of the dried blood, I change the water and then wash the mud and blood out of his hair. I really love the feeling that I get when I run my fingers through his hair, it is so soft and silky. I guess its weightlessness is what gives it its gravity defying look.

Once I finished I pull down the blanket and unzip his flak jacket. Somehow I manage to take it off without waking him and see his body slump back into the bed. His chakra was exhausted beyond all reason and the only thing that kept him alive after the technique was Naruto and Kurama's residual chakra cloak that they kept on us while I healed Kakashi.

I wasn't going to mess with all the trouble of taking off his shirt the traditional way, so I pulled out a kunai and ripped his shirt to shreds.

I once again changed the water of the basin and begin washing off bits of mud and small splatters of blood that had seeped into his shirt. I trace each one of his scars and thank Kami that no one claimed his life before our paths crossed. These scars symbolize the man that he is now, they molded him and changed his view on life. I know that some of these serve as a personal reminder of what he lost, and what he came close to losing. That is how it is for all shinobi, these scars are our past but they shape our future.

I decide not to take off his pants and simply put away the towels and wash basin. I feel completely exhausted and have an overwhelming need to crawl in next to him and pass out. The state of which my clothes are in is kind of depressing and since I took the trouble to wash my unconscious fiancé, I decide to take a quick shower to cleanse the blood and dirt from me too. My movements are automatic and instead of enjoying a long hot shower, I managed to clean up within 10 min so I can lay next to the man that I love. Kakashi's steady breathing and warmth are inviting and soothing. The lamps are all turned off and I manage to crawl in bed and place a kiss over his heart.

With my future husband sleeping soundly in my arms, I manage to succumb to sleep almost immediately.

_(13 hours later)_

I awaken with a crick in my neck but I don't seem to mind it that much since I am rewarded with the slow even breaths of my love. His lips are slightly parted and some of his hair is covering up the bandaged left eye. I somehow manage to disentangle myself from him and start looking around my tent for some fruit or some rations because I am starving. _I can't believe we have been passed out for this long._ Before I get too far in my search for food, I feel my right wrist tingle and I can somehow sense Gaara's sand just outside of the tent. I open up and look down to find a package with the Kazekage's seal right on top. I pick up the box and take it inside. The box feels heavy and I began to wonder what's inside. I release the seal that was placed on it and a scroll appears before me.

I take it and read it to myself, "Kakashi-san and Sakura-san, I am please to report that the ninja that were cast within Tsukuyomi have for the most part surrendered and would like to pledge their allegiance to our Allied Forces. The interrogators from all five hidden villages are going through their minds to find out that if what they say is true and their intentions have indeed changed. The other Kages and I will be in a meeting for the rest of the day to see what will become of these ninjas, most of them were missing nin or had never belonged to a hidden village in the past. We will see if there should be a punishment or probationary period for all ninja that have changed allegiance. Naruto will actually be involved with these meetings so he will be gone for the next few days. Please enjoy your much needed time off and rest as much as possible, you will be needed here tomorrow evening to discuss an important matter. I have enclosed all the food that you might need for the rest of the day. Please do not worry about going out for meals. I am aware of Kakashi-san's condition and by orders of your Hokage you are not to be disturbed for the rest of the day.- Sabaku no Gaara"

I place the scroll down and keep thinking about how Gaara has such elegant handwriting. The box is full of different dishes from all five shinobi nations. I bet the Kages arranged to get their cooks to send in a meal from their respective countries.

Inner Sakura is amused to no end,_ "Talk about shinobi pot-luck!"_

As I finish setting out the dishes around the table, I look up to see Kakashi stirring in his sleep.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_Ugh, I feel like a stampede of Naruto's shadow clones just ran over me._

I try to get up but I feel two gentle hands push me down slightly on the bed.

"Kashi, love, you are still recovering please sit still." That angelic voice belongs to my Sakura. There is a bandage over my left eye and I attempt to get it off. She grabs my hand and tells me, "Oh no, I went through a lot of trouble of healing that eye, I will not have you take off that bandage before it is time." My right eye scans her face and even though she is in full medic mode now, I can feel the love and concern in her words.

I nod but then look up at her emerald eyes, "Sakura, please tell me that you didn't save the Sharingan!"

She hangs her head and then whispers, "No Kashi, I wasn't able to save the Sharingan, there was almost nothing left. I… I… Well, shishou had warned me that Uchiha Itachi had problems with his sight after that technique so, I researched as much as possible and came up with a couple probable action plans to implement after…"

I cut off her words by placing a kiss on her lips.

"Thank you love. I don't know what you did, but I feel like a major weight has been lifted from my system."

Her hands automatically start glowing green and she runs a check of my chakra system. Her eyes widen and she gasps, "Kashi, your chakra reserves have increased by 40%! The Sharingan had been continuously using that much of your chakra and you still managed to be one of the best shinobi while working with only a 60% chakra container. I mean, I knew that because you weren't from Uchiha blood, it would take a large amount of chakra to sustain the Sharingan but I never thought that it was this much!"

I can tell that she was astonished and I manage to give her a shy smile and say, "Aw come on Sakura, you will make me blush."

She smiles at me and then says, "Don't get ahead of yourself, all of that praise might go to your head."

I take her hand but look down at the bed and say, "Sakura… I was a prodigy before I even received the Sharingan. I always felt that it was more of a hindrance than an advantage for me. I know that it has saved us a couple of times, and for that I thank my friend everyday for his sacrifice, but it was a constant drain on my body and I felt that I was never 100%. Love, don't worry for me I won't miss it and I can still be a very capable shinobi without it."

"I know Kashi, I just thought that because you are the famous "Copy Ninja" that… you know…"

I don't let her finish her sentence and say, "Well, the shinobi world can now judge me for me, I believe that most have forgotten how I was before so, this will keep them guessing. The Bingo Books have no information of Hatake Kakashi at his fullest potential."

"But all the jutsus that you have copied?"

"Are still in my head. Love, once you learn them you don't forget them. The Sharingan was just a means of getting them, but people forget that I have plenty original jutsus of my own."

She kisses my bandaged eye gently and then kisses me on my lips.

"Are you hungry? You should see all the food the Kages sent us?"

"But shouldn't we go and see what happened?" I attempt to sit up but she gives me 'the look' and I slowly lay back down on the pillow.

"Gaara sent us a letter explaining what happened and shishou ordered us to rest for the next 24 hours. No one will be here to bother us so, today is all about you and me." She beamed at me and then handed me Gaara's letter.

I read over it quickly and then looked up and asked, "Sakura, did they mention anything about Sasuke? I felt his chakra in the area yesterday."

"ANBU informed us that he had escaped some traps that had been set around the perimeter."

I sigh and say to her, "He is getting stronger if he can evade Neji's traps."

Sakura takes a bowl of miso soup from the nearby table and then comes to sit with me on the bed. I'm allowed to sit up, only after she puts a couple of pillows behind my back. She then takes the bowl into her hands once again and slowly lifts the spoon to my lips and I swallow the warm soup it holds.  
"Wow, this is great, but love I can do this, you go and eat."

"No, Kashi, as Future Mrs. Hatake, my duty is to care for the wellbeing of my husband." She smiles at me and then says, "Plus, I feel that this is really intimate, since I… I… you and I... I mean..." She looks like she is going to say something but then changes her mind and says, "Since I feel that we both need to prepare for how it will be when we are married."

Her blush gives her away and I lift my hand so I can caress her cheek, "Sakura, I love you and I will devote my time to make you the happiest woman on Earth." Her blush deepens and since I obviously left her speechless she takes another spoonful of soup and brings it up to my lips.

We finish eating and then she orders me to lie back down and rest, but I manage to grab her and whisper in her ear, "Only if my future wife joins me." She gives me a small giggle, _when was the last time I heard her giggle_, and curls up next to me. I turn my head and bury my nose in her hair to take in her scent. "Ummm, fresh rain and jasmine…" She looks up at me puzzled and I just smile at her and tell her that it is how her scent smells like to me.

"Thank you Sakura, for everything that you have done to save me, in every sense of the word. You are the reason that I take my next breath." Her eyes widen at my words and I can tell that she is thinking about something.

"Kashi, my mother once told me that I will one day marry a man who made me feel that I was the very reason for their next breath as they would be to me."

"Well, maybe this is her way of giving us their blessing from the other side." I wipe the tear that escaped and kiss her gently on the lips.

I pull back and wrap my hands around her. As much as I want to take things further, I want her first time to be perfect. I want her to feel all the love that I have for her and the lengths that I will take to ensure her happiness. Right now we both are recovering from chakra depletion, _or in my case exhaustion,_ so I am just content with holding her close.

After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, she looks up and smiles shyly at me.

_What is she thinking about…_

"Well since we are both stuck together resting in bed, we can…" _I feel a slight urge to flew with what she is pulling out of the drawer on the nightstand_ "start planning the wedding. Ino brought these wedding magazines when she found out about our engagement. I had no idea that she would have even thought that this was proper reading material while packing for a war!"

_I knew it! My instincts have never been wrong._

She looks at me and tries to study my features, I just thank Kami that I have had years of concealing my emotions because she somehow manages not to pick up on my sense of dread at looking over 'wedding magazines'.

I give her a smile and say to her, "Love, whatever will make you happy on our wedding day will be fine with me."

She kisses my cheek and then starts flipping through the first magazine but I can tell that she really is not paying any attention.

"Kashi, is there any special traditions or ceremonies in the Hatake family?"

I think for a second, and then I shake my head, "Not that I can remember. My father told me something would happen when our rings touch when we are married, but he didn't elaborate too much on it. I only have my father's tanto and the wedding bands from my parents. I am pretty sure that there must be some record of my parent's wedding in Konoha."

She smiles at me and then snuggled closer while she is still absent-mindedly flipping through the pages.

I know something is still bothering her so I caress her arms and whisper, "Love, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really, I just feel weird planning a wedding while we are in the middle of a war. I mean I know that with this victory, the rest of the troops could probably finish this nonsense fairly quickly, but I really don't want to go back to Konoha and then have Tsunade, Shizune and Ino go crazy with the wedding plans. I want a simple ceremony surrounded by our friends and nothing else. I only need you. This, (she points towards the magazines) is not necessary."

I look at her and I tell her that those are my exact feelings as well. We start making a list of the people that we want present at the ceremony and any little detail that we want to add to it over dinner and thankfully we don't have to look at those magazines anymore.

Sakura then tells me to sit still because she wants to check my left eye to see if there has been any improvement. I feel her soothing chakra flow into my eye and I can actually feel how she threads her chakra into mine. Her eyes begin to sparkle and she gives me a big grin. "Kashi, your eye, it is responding well. I can feel all of the small nerves I created getting stronger. I even felt some jolts of your own chakra already starting to supply it. Hopefully we can take these bandages off tomorrow morning."

I smile back at her and kiss her on the forehead. "I don't think I really started living until I started loving you. Thank you for everything Sakura."

I am rewarded with the prettiest blush to adorn her face and she leans in to give me a chaste kiss on the lips. I wrap my arm around her as she places her head on my shoulder. I feel Sakura's body slowly relax into mine and she whispers, "I love you Kashi" before falling asleep.

I lay there looking at the ceiling of the tent and imagine we are back on our field looking at the stars.

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A/N: Ok so the story continues, please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 15

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Kakashi's POV

I wake up with an unbelievable urge to scratch underneath the bandages that Sakura had placed under my left eye. As I am about to scratch my eye, Sakura grabs my hand, _(while her eyes are still closed)_ and says, "Don't even think about it."

I resist the urge to whine about how much it itches and just simply nod and place both of my hands around her supposedly sleeping form. After a couple of minutes she stirs again and places her hands on my bandaged eye. Her chakra flows in and I feel how she is inspecting every inch of my eye. She suddenly sits up and begins to remove my bandages.

"Love please keep your eye closed after I remove the bandages. I won't turn on the light now so it should ease the strain in your eye. You have to promise me that you will tell me if anything is off or feels weird. You must also keep your right eye closed so we can evaluate only your left eye and not have the right compensate for any loss of vision. I nod as she removes the last gauze bandage and we both take a deep breath.

I slowly open my eye and, at first, I have some trouble registering what I am seeing. The image in front of me is blurry for a second or two as I try to focus, and then I see pink. "Sakura I can see your pink hair!" I take another deep breath in and then try to focus again on her face. "Love you have the most beautiful shade of green in those gorgeous eyes of yours. I know you are blushing but I can't really see it right. It feels like my eye goes in and out of focus."

"Try sending a bit of chakra into your eye, but do it slowly and start very low."

I do as she tells me and it does help with me focusing on the small details of her face.

I reach out and touch a stray lock of hair that is obscuring her gaze and push it back behind her ear. "Love, having you be the first thing I see has to be the most wonderful experience in my life so far." I can really see her blush now and I slowly begin to open my right eye as well. Having both eyes open, Sakura's eyes begin to spill over her unshed tears and she cups my face. She tells me, "Kashi, I love you so much." I reach out towards her and hug her tightly. She breaths in right at the crook of my neck and says, "Love do you want to see yourself in the mirror?"

I can only nod because frankly, I am afraid to see myself. She hands me her mirror from her pack and I slowly look into it and see two dark gray eyes looking back at me. No longer is there the crimson orb that was the gift of my friend Obito. I hold my hand up to cover my right eye and continue to look at the mirror with my new left eye. I put down the mirror and cover both of my eyes because I feel the sensation of tears coming over both eyes. I begin to cry and Sakura stays silently by my side holding me, giving me her unspoken support and strength.

As the tears continue to silently fall from both eyes, I whisper to myself , "Obito I carried your gift for so long… I can only hope that some good came from your sacrifice. I… I tried to live my life just as you taught me… I am so… I am so sorry about what happened. I am so sorry for not being able to protect Rin and for not being the friend and teammate that you needed or deserved. I failed in many things and I hope that you, Rin, and Minato sensei can one day forgive me." I hug Sakura tighter and I continue to cry into her shoulder.

As my tears subside, I pull Sakura back so I can see her and I realize that she has also been crying silently beside me. She holds me still and says, "Love, I am here to help you carry some of your pain. You are not alone. I might not have known all the details about how you got the Sharingan, but I hope that yesterdays sacrifice can also be counted as Obito's. He might not be with us now, but his Sharingan continued to fight on and protect Konoha through you. I am here for you always."

"Thank you for healing not just my eye but this broken soul of mine." I interlace our fingers together and bring her left hand to my lips. I kiss the top of her engagement ring and say, "Sakura I will never stop loving you." Her smile is so beautiful and I cannot resist the urge to kiss those soft lips of hers.

When I break the kiss I smile back at her and I tell her that I want to have breakfast outside to see the sunrise. She nods and starts packing her things in a small pack. I collect some of the leftover food from yesterday and we head out towards the trees to a nearby clearing near the lake.

We set up a blanket by the edge of the lake and start eating our breakfast, just as the rays of the sun begin to cross the horizon and reflect on the lake. I look down at her as she looks on ahead as she breathes out, "It is so beautiful."

I can only agree, her skin looks so soft and the sun shining on her eyes gives them an ethereal sparkle. Her lips are slightly parted as she looks on to what I believe to be a beautiful sunrise, but I cannot keep my eyes off of her.

She is the most beautiful creature on this plane of existence, and I can only thank Kami for having our paths cross in this lifetime. I now know what true love is and when I die, I will continue to search for her in the next until we are reunited.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I sit there looking towards the sunrise and I feel at peace inside. There is also a sense of peace radiating from Kakashi. I believe that he had a cathartic release when he finally saw that he no longer possessed the Sharingan. I just hope that with this, he can bury some of that pain behind him. What I am still so intrigued at, is his new potential now that he doesn't have the Sharingan.

_Maybe I should ask him to spar with me later on._

I look up at him and I smile, "Kashi, how are you feeling?"

"I feel great love, I can feel my chakra reserves almost full. Last time I felt like this I was nine years old, it feels a little weird, like if a set of Gai's weighted bracers have been taken off and I can finally run at my fastest speed."

I smile wickedly at him and then taunt him, "Well then let's have a little spar. We aren't due back at camp for a couple of hours so what do you say?"

There is a spark in his eyes and he jumps up and circles around me, "Ok love but don't say I didn't warn you." With those words he vanishes into thin air and he automatically suppressed his chakra signature from me. I stay on high alert and before I take a single step forward, Kakashi pins me down on the floor.

"W-What… that's not fair… I didn't even take a single step." He chuckles above me and when he closes his eyes to give me a double eye crinkle, I take advantage and try to push him from me. He seems to expect this and he jumps over me and again disappears into the tree line.

_Wow, he is super fast._

I can't even see him flash from tree to tree. My strength is useless if I can't even follow his movements. I hear him actually laugh as he is flying from the tree tops in a wide circle from where I am at. His laughter sounds so carefree, so I just sit on a nearby rock and raise my arms in defeat.

"Ok Kakashi, you win, I can't even see you, much less fight you. Maybe we should ask Naruto to test your new abilities out. With his shadow clones, one of them is bound to find you." The next thing I feel is a gush of wind as his arms suddenly pick me up and hold me close to his body.

He whispers in my ear, "Sakura you have to feel this rush."

He leaps from tree to tree and I barely even feel him touching the next branch. It is such a rush to be traveling at such a high-speed over the tree tops. I actually giggle at the wonderful feeling but then I suddenly start to worry about us crashing into a tree, since we are going extremely fast and he no longer has the Sharingan. My hold around his neck tightens and he actually chuckles, "Oh love, don't tell me that you don't have any faith in my abilities."

"Kashi, I do. I trust you with my life, it's just that I have never, and I mean never, done this before. It's a little scary."

"Love you can take on just about any ninja in the world and you are scared about going a little fast?" He starts to laugh but I know that he isn't mocking me, because he kisses my ear and starts to slow down and eventually stops and lands next to a tree on the ground. "I guess we should always start slow and steady, ne?"

I almost miss his double meaning and I start to blush like a crazy woman. I once again look into his now identically colored eyes and I can feel the smouldering look he is giving me.

_Dark gray is now officially my favorite color._

Yup, no other color could ever hold a candle to the deep rich tones of his dark gray eyes.

He leans me back against the tree trunk and leans in so our foreheads are touching. His eyes bore into mine and all I can do is gasp. There is so much emotion there, so much feeling that could never be put into words.

He slowly closes his eyes and leans in to kiss me. His lips start off slow and gentle. It is as if he is worshiping my bottom lip before he slowly licks it, begging for entrance into my mouth.

My arms snake their way around his neck and I pull him in a bit closer as I part my lips to give him access. His tongue begins to explore my mouth and then slowly starts to nudge my tongue into action.

My breath hitches and I slightly separate our lips for a fraction of a second before he crashes his lips on me again. This time his lips seem more demanding because he nips at my bottom lip eliciting a moan to escape from my mouth. He then starts making his way up my jaw line towards my ear and then down my neck. He takes his time kissing my neck and slowly goes to my collarbone as his hands caress my hips up towards my waist. I start to thread my fingers into his hair to steady myself and he seems to enjoy this because I feel him smiling against the skin of my shoulder.

His voice is sinfully smooth and he says, "Sakura you have no idea how much that turns me on." To emphasize his meaning he rolls his hips into mine and I once again let out a small gasp. He gently grazes his teeth along my collarbone and inhales my scent right were my pulse is beating erratically. "Ahhhh… Sakura you smell intoxicating." He almost purrs into my ear and I have a small convulsion at the sound of his words. I feel like the world could burn to the ground at this second and I wouldn't pay a bit of attention.

The ANBU guard in front of us had a different way of thinking because he cleared his throat not once, not twice, but three times to get our attention.

Kakashi sighs deeply and breaks his hold from me for a minute to regain his composure before turning around to face the ANBU.

If the ANBU didn't have his mask on, I bet he would be as red as I am now because he managed to stutter when addressing Kakashi, "Kakashi-taichou, p-please forgive my intrusion but the Kages have finished their council earlier than expected and would like to meet with you and Sakura-sama."

Kakashi only nods and then the ANBU disappears.

He turns around and raises a single eyebrow towards me, "Sakura-sama? When did they change the honorific? First Sai starts calling you by your given name and now the ANBU call you sama?"

"I told them that not to use that honorific. I just did my job on the field and nothing else. Ugh… we better go see what the Kage's want." He pulls me into his chest and then starts making the seals for his transportation jutsu. We leave the lake in a puff of smoke and we reappear in front of the war room headquarters.

* * *

A/N: I think Kakashi is finally on the road to psychological recovery. I think his emotional release was extremely important and by having Sakura witness that it just means that he completely trusts her.I try to have Kakashi not use his mask when he is around her because, like she said before, she doesn't want any barriers of any kind between them. I truly hope you guys are enjoying this story so far.

I usually write it around midnight after I have finished my schoolwork so I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. I really do try to proofread, but when you write and reread it five or six times in a row before posting everyday, the words kinda mix together and your mind automatically corrects the errors in your head but not on your paper. I really am happy with how the story is progressing and I have to give my loyal reviewer prescripto13 some love for the wonderful suggestion that I will most probably use in the next couple of chapters if not the next one. Please review!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 16

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I hold Sakura's hand as we walk into the room. The talking that had gone on in the room immediately stopped and all eyes rested on us, _well mainly me._ I had decided to keep my hatai-ate in place on my forehead instead of covering my left eye in its usual way. We walk by the starring shinobi and go to stand in front of the Kage's. We both bow to them and they simply nod. The Kage's begin to stare at my left eye intently.

"Amazing" the Mizukage said as she looked straight into my eyes. Gaara sat back in his chair and said, "Kakashi-san, I see everything went according to plan. Sakura-san I will like to extend the gratitude of all the Kage's present in the healing of our entire troops during battle. I am extremely impressed that you were able to save Kakashi-san's eye. Tsunade-sama verified that the Sharingan that Kakashi wielded was indeed lost after the completion of the jutsu. I know that this was a great sacrifice on your part and a great loss to Konohagakure."

I bow again and say, "I can only hope that we were able to change a few minds with this jutsu. Has there been any progress with the newly allied nins?"

Gaara replies, "Yes, we have extensively questioned their motives and verified that they now hold a true allegiance to our cause. What you and Naruto did was truly remarkable. We will take in the nins into our villages and retrain them, most will be demoted to rank of genin but will be allowed to move up the ranks in time. There are a select few that might be allowed the rank of special chunnin, or even special jonin, but as of now, there will be no one placed in the rank of regular jonin or be allowed to serve in ANBU."

I am glad to hear the news and I reply, "I can only hope that this is a new start for many of them."

The Mizukage shifts in her seat and then says to me, "Hatake, you really are as unpredictable as most of the Bingo Books say you are. How will you continue on as a shinobi without the Sharingan?"

My hand tightens into a fist and I narrow my eyes in her direction by a tiny fraction.

Before I could answer the Mizukage, my Hokage graciously interrupts me and says, "Look here, no one will dare insult one of my best shinobi. He is, and will, continue his duties as Third Division Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces until this war is finished. When we return to Konoha he will continue to be an ANBU captain and fulfill his duties as jonin of MY village. I will warn you all once, do not for a second underestimate his abilities. He was a jonin at age 9, most of the brats on the field were barely entering the academy at that age, so do not speak as if you know anything about him because you read the stupid Bingo Book. He has been in that damn book for so many years that even though most know his reputation, only a few actually know his mind."

I have never felt more humbled in my life.

My Hokage, who will be my future mother in law, stood up for me.

I would not have said as much myself, but there is a part deep inside that acknowledges her pride in my duties to my village.

Gaara breaks the staring contest between both female Kage's by clearing his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Kakashi-san, Sakura-san, it has come to our attention that Uchiha Sasuke was spotted during battle. He did manage to encounter some of our troops but he only avoided their attacks by countering with a katon jutsu. No one was injured, but he managed to evade some perimeter traps. We have intel that he was only watching what was going on in the battle. A team is being set up to help you track and find him. With the war coming to a close, we want to tie up any loose ends while we can. I can personally tell you that I am glad that he chose to stay neutral as of now."

I look up and say, "Neutral, what do you mean?"

Tsunade-sama responds, "Kakashi we have more intel on Sasuke's whereabouts. He has killed Orochimaru and has been making his way back to Konoha. There have also been some reports that Uchiha Itachi was killed by Sasuke's sword. We need to know his motives."

Both Sakura and I say in unison, "Hai."

Tsunade-sama pulls us to a side room and then begins to place a sound sealing jutsu around the room. She looks up at us and then says, "Sakura, we need to help you place your seal on Inner Sakura and your team. I'm afraid that you will not be able to go on this mission."

"B-But… why shishou? I am as much part of Team 7 as Naruto, Sai, Kakashi and Yamato-taichou."

"I know… I know… but the jutsu that you performed to help save the lives of the troops is way too important now. While Kakashi, Sai, Yamato, and Naruto search for Sasuke, you will be taking Kakashi's place in the field against the rest of the enemy nins. I need you here to save lives."

I tighten my grip on her hand and place a kiss on the top of her head. "Love, what Hokage-sama says is correct, we are bound to our village first and saving lives is one of our forces priorities. Your skills are needed here. We will be safe, with the seal that you will place on us. Sasuke, although powerful, has not show any outward signs of agression up to this point. He might be seeking us out for other reasons, we don't know but our team will find out, and if possible bring him back. With Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi out-of-the-way his mind is probably in a state of turmoil. We are the only people who are left that care about him."

Sakura sighs and leans her head on my shoulder while squeezing my hand gently. "Ok we need to gather my inks and get our team up here."

* * *

Sakura's POV

Shishou asks Kakashi to go and get the rest of Team 7. The information that we received on Sasuke is highly classified and no one is supposed to know about this. Allowing Naruto to leave the camp at this time is already going to raise several eyebrows, but it is a risk we need to take. As Kakashi jumps out the window to get Sai, Yamato-taichou and Naruto, Shishou pulls me close to her and asks me about Kakashi's status. I inform her that he is doing extremely well, his eye is stable and the chakra pathways are getting stronger by the hour.

She leans on the table and then says, "How are his chakra reserves?"

I raise an eyebrow towards her.

_Does she know something that I don't?_

"They have increased by 40%, his speed is unbelievable and his stealth is unmatched. I asked to spar with him early this morning and I wasn't even to take a single step. I couldn't even see him, not even a blur. I have never experienced this type of ability and prowess. Naruto is powerful but he is always so loud, Sasuke was… well he used to have this aura of pure hatred sometimes and that is what made him seem powerful. Kakashi… right now he is more like… I don't know how to describe it, it's as if he knows he is that good, but has never admitted it to anyone. Shishou why did you speak up for him in front of the other Kage's? "

Tsunade sighs and sits on the nearby chair. I hop on edge of the table and sit there expecting her to answer.

She then says, "Sakura, Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, was a great shinobi, one of the best. His prowess in combat and his skills were at a Kage level. Many compared him to a Sannin in battle, but he was never a show off. He would let us take all the praise knowing full well that he had bared the brunt of the load. Sakumo was happy around his family. Before I left Konoha I would catch glimpses of how Sakumo would carry his son on his shoulder, extremely proud of his son's accomplishments. There was no joy in his eyes when he would be praised in battle, but tell him that his son was growing up to be just like him and he would absolutely glow with pride. Kakashi is just like his father, his loyalties run deeper than many shinobi in Konoha and no amount of praise or prestige would ever make him happy. He is the one who works hard, day in and day out, his sacrifices go unnoticed by many and his very aloof nature is but another mask for others to see. Kakashi is most happy in the field, not the combat fields but out in nature, with his dogs or just sitting atop the Hokage monument. He likes the balance that nature provides where there is uncomplicated peace. I sometimes wonder if this is what he is doing when he says things like 'Being lost on the path of life'."

I think about what she is telling me for a second.

_Kakashi IS most at peace in nature, he doesn't want to open up to others because he doesn't want to let anyone down, so he avoids their company but still manages to care for them from afar. I had noticed in the past that when we all went out to celebrate any given occasion, he was more comfortable watching instead of doing. His happiness was seeing others live life as happy and as carefree as possible. Since we began our romantic relationship Kakashi is less detached and more forthcoming about his feelings, especially with our team._

Shishou interrupts my thoughts and states, "Sakura, I believe that Kakashi might even surpass his father, if he has not done so already. Not just in becoming a great shinobi, but a great man. Many Bingo Books have stats on the 'Copy Nin' with his Sharingan, but no one will understand the kind of power that man holds within. Sakumo used to carry a tanto into battle and when he would wield it, white chakra would emit from himself and pass it on to his tanto. It really was a sight to behold, that is how he got the name of the White Fang of Konoha. I believe that Kakashi even used his father's tanto the day that he lost his eye. Minato had written in the report that he was impressed by the sheer power of Kakashi's white chakra."

"Shishou, I have never seen Kakashi use the white chakra and I only got to see his father's tanto the day that he proposed to me. I guess the Sharingan took so much chakra out of him that he never had any left to spare."

"Well my girl, I believe we are just going to have to wait and see what surprises that man has in store for everybody."

_I laugh softly and then a fleeting sense of dread comes over me for an instance and then it is gone just as quickly as it came._

Just then I see Kakashi step in through the window. His dark gray eyes scan me from head to toe and I know he has that devilish grin plastered on his face underneath that mask of his. He strides into the room with such a commanding presence, but with a soft look in his eyes, and then kisses the top of my head and hands me my satchel with the chakra enhance inks. A few seconds later I hear just outside the window, "Kaka-sensei what did Sakura-chan give you, I could barely catch up!"

Sai jumps in silently from the window to my side and states, "Leave it to this orange clad eye sore to state the obvious."

Naruto glares at Sai and yells, "Hey, at least I am not afraid of the color wheel, and you call yourself an artist!"

"Speak for yourself, a ninja should be stealthy and quiet, things you are not. Orange clothing compounded with your loud mouth would alert any decent shinobi in Suna of you stepping out the front door!"

_Wow, Sai has really stepped up his game with the insults. I wonder who let him borrow the "Worlds Best Shinobi Comebacks" book?_

Kakashi then pulls both of their collars and separates them into different corners of the room.

Shihou is losing her patience with these bakas so I ask Sai to come and help me set out the inks and scrolls that we need.

Yamato-taichou simply appeared in the room through his usual ANBU transportation jutsu.

I turn to my boys and then eye my love who had taken out his _Icha Icha_ book to read as he waited for me to get started. I nod at Sai and pull out the chair in front of me for him to sit down

Sai sits down and takes off his shirt.

"Sakura-chan why is this loser taking off his clothes? And Kaka-sensei, why are you not doing anything about it?!"

"Because Naruto, I need to implant the seal with this special ink on your vital organs. Sai helped me develop these seals and knows what I am about to do. Please sit down and watch."

Kakashi didn't even bother looking up from _Icha Icha_ and just continued flipping the pages in front of him.

Tsunade glares at Naruto and then yells, "Brat, I don't have enough sake to be dealing with your nonsense now, so keep that mouth shut!"

He sheepishly grins and then nods and says, "Yes, baa-chan."

I have Sai lean forward so he could expose his spine to me, and I begin to place a seal along the spinal column. I then have him turn around and I place a seal over his left and right pectorals, and then going down his sternum to just above the navel. His hands get the most intricate seals because I go over each digit, palm and knuckle. A shinobi's hands are his greatest weapons and that is where we sometimes get the most injuries. I place some more seals from his jaw line down his collarbone and shoulders, down to his arms right above his wrists. I instruct Sai to pull up the pant legs and I write a seal over his shins down to his ankles.

I repeat the process with Kakashi, Yamato-taichou and Naruto and when they are done I have them sit over a large scroll that Tsunade-sama rolled out on the floor. I had placed the most intricate seal on that scroll and Tsunade-sama copied the same seal on the back of my neck. The guys sat around me in and I stood in the middle. I told shishou that I would be having Inner Sakura take over my mind, while I performed the seals. Tsunade-sama was then to say the incantation as the guys started to meditate and open up their chakra pathways. I told them that it would be like when I heal them, so they should accept my chakra and not fight it.

Naruto had to negotiate with Kurama beforehand and convince him that I was only trying to protect Naruto's physical body not enter into his mind to take control. When Kurama was accepting of this I began going into my mindscape to allow Inner Sakura to take over.

* * *

Inner Sakura POV

_"Alright guys get ready for a kick ass ride. I promise this won't hurt a bit."_

I nod at Tsunade-sama to start the incantation and I fly through the first set of seals and then the second, third and fourth set. As I finish, the scroll below us starts to glow with Sakura's green chakra and I start emitting my blue chakra into my hands. I touch the forehead of Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato-taichou and Sai and the seals on their bodies start to glow blue. The green chakra from the scroll begins coming up their legs as my blue chakra starts going down their upper body to meet right on their hearts. I feel my chakra divide into each of their bodies and after my chakra fades, the seals on their bodies start to disappear into their flesh as if Sakura had not covered their bodies with seals a little while ago.

_Ok girl, they are all yours now, I will protect them as much as I can from here on out._

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel Inner Sakura recede back into my mindscape and I begin to feel the sudden loss of chakra from my body. My knees give out and I tumble into Kakashi's lap. He looks at me and then kisses my lips gently, "Thank you love."

"UGH! Sakura-chan, Kaka-sensei please don't do that in front of me!" Naruto then is effectively silenced by a hit to the back of his head, courtesy of my shishou.

I feel an overwhelming need to sleep and I hear shishou tell Kashi to take me to get some rest.

The next thing I feel is the teleportation jutsu and then the soft pillows and blankets of my bed. Kakashi holds me as I start to drift off to sleep and he whispers, "I will protect you, just as you have protected me."

* * *

A/N: Alright guys, I have to admit I loved writing Sakumo in this chapter. Thanks to prescripto13 for that awesome suggestion. I believed that the White Fang was a formidable shinobi at a Kage level and might have been Hokage if he had been given the chance. His attitude with his son was always one of love and acceptance, so when he died, I believe that Kakashi turned that love and acceptance into distance and a fear to openly love. I imagine that he must feel a sense of renewal and new beginnings now with his past (the Sharingan) behind him. Kakashi had already met the qualifications for Hokage of having over a 1000 jutsus under his belt and more experience than Gaara, so now with his new-found chakra who knows what he is capable of now? His white chakra is actually very important now in this story, (wink, wink).

On another note, I have always imagined Kakashi as a person who is always doing something good for his village. The excuses that he gives his teammates for being late are actually just a cover for what his real duties to the village lie. He is one of the best shinobi, so I am guessing that he has his ritual of visiting the memorial stone, but then he goes out to do the things that Obito and Rin was never able to do. He is trying to atone for their deaths by giving back as much as he can. It's weird I can't really describe what is going on in his head because it is convoluted and erratic but it makes sense to him. He appears to be aloof and lazy, but he really is caring and devoted to making everyone happy. I kinda see Minato and Sakumo as great father figures for Kakashi.

BTW I am completely taking out the true enemy of the Fourth Shinobi War from this story. I don't think that I can include Obito, Madara and the reanimated shinobi's in this fic. Sorry for going a bit AU'ish now. That is why the enemy has been kept anonymous for now, think about just having some enemy nins trying to take over the shinobi countries because Pain, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki had already dealt huge blows to the hidden villages. The only villains right now where Orochimaru and Itachi, who were killed by Sasuke's hand. Danzo is mentioned in this fic and that is one of Sasuke's driving forces now.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 17

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura is sleeping soundly in my arms and I have watched her for the last hour. It is still evening and the campsite is all abuzz during dinnertime preparations. I am glad that the protective jutsus that I placed around this tent prevent any sounds or foreign chakra signatures from coming in or out. There is no one in this camp that would ever dream of messing with Sakura, the Godaime Hokage's apprentice and one of the best kunoichis in the world, but one can never be too careful in the shinobi world we live in.

Even though she is exhausted because of the seal placement, she curls into my body and wraps her arms around me. She seems to unconsciously grasp my shirt over my heart every time we are asleep together. Her possessive side really shines when she is sleeping. I feel her leg wrap around my own and her hand trails from my heart to my abs. She sometimes glides her fingers through my hair and sometimes she gently pulls my hair while letting out a breathy sigh. It takes all of my willpower not to take her at that moment.

As if Kami wasn't torturing me enough she whispers, "Kashi… mine" and then snuggles even closer.

Kami-sama this woman is driving me crazy. Her scent is so alluring and her lips look so delicious.

_I have to get some fresh air._

I somehow manage to get out of her grasp and I quickly scribble a note and place it on the pillow next to her.

I go outside to take a walk and clear my head a little. I go back to the lake where we had watched the sunrise and sit down next to the tree.

I reach for my scroll that's in my front shirt pocket and release it. I take a look at my father's wedding band and his tanto.

_Mom… Dad… So many things have happened these last few days, we are getting close to finishing this war and I might be able to find one of my students that got lost in the path of life. Hopefully I can bring him home again; try to offer him something more than vengeance; try to show him there are other paths to take. I know what happens when one goes down the dark path and it sometimes makes you feel like there is little to hope for in this life. I am just lucky to have some precious people who have been there for me and have loved me._

_Well, I'm finally just me again, none of that Sharingan no Kakashi, just plain ol' Hatake Kakashi. I hope… No… I know that I am enough for the people who are precious to me. Sakura accepts me just like I am, and I will no longer second guess myself._

_Dad, I know I haven't done this in so many years but I can just feel this surge of pure energy inside me._

I grab my father's tanto into my hands and stand up. I ready myself in a battle stance and before I can go through a kata, I release the energy from my body. White chakra begins emitting from my body and runs through the tanto. It isn't like the chidori, it's more natural and just feels like and extension of me. It is also silent but eerily beautiful in its glow.

The kata is simple but I execute it very rapidly and smoothly. I then begin a defensive kata and I slow down my movements and they feel fluid and instinctive. I get lost in my thoughts while I am repeating the katas and I soon realize that the evening sky is now getting dark and the stars are beginning to shine. The only other light source is coming from me and the tanto.

"I can see why they called your dad the White Fang of Konoha. You are your father's son. I had only heard about his white chakra but seeing it firsthand… Whoa!"

I finish the kata that I had started just prior to my interruption and gracefully jump up to the tree line.

Genma is leaning on the tree trunk while lounging on the biggest branch he could find.

"Hey man, how's it going?" He says to me but is intensely looking at my eyes, but says nothing about the missing Sharingan. He then takes a swig of a saké bottle.

"I'm good, I feel good." He offers me the bottle and I take a swig as well.

"How is married life? I haven't seen Shizune in a while."

"Shizune is back in Konoha per Tsunade's orders. I know that she is helping her get your wedding together. I heard something about looking for Sakura's kimono."

I look at him and sigh, "We told that woman that we didn't want anything extravagant. We both want something simple and with just our close friends."

He starts to laugh and says, "You know how women are, Ino-chan has already given Shizune Sakura's measurements so they can get started on the wedding kimono. Well, I got some news for you… Shizune and I are going to be parents!"

He laughs nervously and then looks at me dead serious, "Kami! Kakashi what about if we end up having a baby girl!"

He begins to drink some more saké and I tell him, "Look, if you have a baby girl you won't have to worry because she will have her uncle Kakashi to scare the living daylights of any stupid boys, plus she will also have aunt Sakura to put those boys in their place as well."

Genma is still looking at me with shock clear in his eyes, so I say, "Look I know about your past with the ladies, but Kami might give you a break. I mean this is Shizune's baby too, she has to have some good karma stored up to counteract your stupid past."

I sit on the branch beside him and ask for the bottle of saké.

"Genma, I'm going out on a mission with my team but Sakura is staying here to help finish out the war. Please keep an eye on her."

He nods and steals back the bottle to take a couple more gulps.

I then look at him very seriously, "I want you to be careful too. I don't say this enough but I'm glad your my friend."

"Who else could put up with your lazy ass?"

"Genma, please be careful, you're going to be a dad soon and that baby and Shizune are going to need you. Don't do anything reckless."

"Ok, Ok, but same goes for you. If you break Sakura's heart by getting killed for some stupid reason, I will look for the forbidden resurrection scrolls, just so I can revive you and kill you myself."

I look at him and raise and eyebrow and he burst out in a laughing fit.

"Man, that doesn't look half as intimidating as when you had that Sharingan. I say, Kakashi are you losing your touch?"  
"That's it baka, we are sparring right now."

I suddenly disappear and chidori the tree branch that he was sitting on. He throws some kunai in my direction as he is falling, followed by a couple of senbon. They all miss or are destroyed by the katon jutsu I threw at him. Before he lands on the ground I have my tanto lightly pressing on his throat.

He raises his hands in defeat and says, "Ok you win, sorry for saying that. When the hell did you get so fast?"

I immediately release him but I don't answer his question. I put up the tanto and walk up to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Genma, when you see Shizune tell her to please keep the wedding planning simple, it's not that I'm cheap or anything" he raises an eyebrow but I ignore it and continue, "I would give her the equivalent of a Daimyos wedding if she wanted, but since our parents aren't with us anymore we both just want the people on this list to be there. This is our family and we only want to share this special day with them only." I hand him the list that Sakura and I had prepared and start to walk off. He calls out to me and says, "Kakashi I don't believe anyone knows your true strength now. That white chakra was bad-ass."

I continue walking off but raise my hand in my trademark salute and then disappear into the forest.

When I walk into another clearing I bite my thumb and summon my pack of ninken.

"What's up Boss?"

I look down at Pakkun and rub his head. I sit with my pack for a while and fill them in with what has gone on the last few days. Bull is excited about the notion of Sakura and I getting married because she completely spoils him.

_Well if I'm honest, she spoils all of them, including me._

I get up and start walking to the north while telling them of our upcoming mission. I need them to start tracking Sasuke's trail so I take them near the site where I had felt his chakra the last time. They start to notice the burnt trees where he used several katon jutsus and they quickly pick his scent up. I tell them that we will be heading off in a couple of hours so they are to report back to me at dawn. They all nod and disappear into the forest. I walk back to camp instead of teleporting there, it is such a beautiful night and the moon will be full in a couple of days.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel cold and wake up to find that Kakashi is not in bed with me. I reach over to his side and feel a slip of paper on his pillow. I open it up and read it quickly, _"Love, went out to get some fresh air and do a couple of katas by the lake. Will be out with the ninken and be back later. Love, K."_

I get up from bed and start to stretch. I know that they will probably be leaving either tonight or early tomorrow morning, so I begin to pack Kakashi's pack for him. I add a couple of my healing enhanced bandages and some antidotes for poisons that are used in Sound. I don't know who Sasuke has been hanging around with but I want to make sure that I can have my team prepared and ready for any possible outcome.

As I pick up Kakashi's three prong kunai that the Yondaime Hokage gave him, I begin to recognize the seals on the hilt. They are the same ones that are engraved on my ring.

_Kashi, you think of absolutely everything._

I need to ask Yamato what the ANBU transportation seals are. I'm pretty sure that he will give them to me. He was my ANBU mentor before the war began. I remember the day that I told Kakashi that shishou had agreed to let me enter the ANBU Medic Corps. He flipped out and refused to talk to me for three days. It felt like he was just being as overprotective as Naruto, so I sought Yamato-taichou. He was hesitant at first but he knew that I would have been a good ANBU Medic Captain, I mean I was head of the hospital at the time.

That was all before the war began, so before I was able to sign my life away to the Black Ops, the war broke out and I was put as Head Medic for the Allied Shinobi Forces. Now that I think about it, I know why Kakashi didn't want me to join. It wasn't because I didn't have the skills, it was that he didn't want my spirit to be broken. ANBU is as draining on the soul as war is, but when you are in ANBU the rest of the world goes on with their daily lives around you, and it is hard to fit in after seeing and doing those classified missions. At least with war we are all in this together and can hope for it to end soon, to an ANBU this is daily life. It really hurt back then but I understand his actions now. He didn't wish for me to experience any of this. I now know and don't want to wish this on anyone else either.

I set out on my search for Yamato-taichou and I find him near the camp gates talking with Sai, while they both are looking up at the moon.

They turn around when they sense my chakra and nod at me. I smile and greet them both.

"Sakura, I was just talking with Yamato-taichou about some wedding customs in Konoha that Ino told me about. Why would you need male dancers to take of their clothing? I thought that your intentions were to see Kakashi…"

I immediately put my hand over his mouth and give him a death glare.

"Sai, do not believe any of that nonsense that Ino-pig said to you. That is not a wedding custom, that is just her way have an excuse to be perverted. There will be none of that nonsense at MY wedding!"

He only nodded and then said he had to go pack. My eyes soften and I grab his wrist and tell him to be careful while on this mission. He gives me a real smile then, not one of his fake ones and says, "With all the ink that is in my body now, I believe that we will all make it safe back home."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke and then I turn to Yamato-taichou.

He rubs the back of his head and I can see a small sweat drop on his forehead. He says, "Sakura, I did not believe for a second that you would be inclined to have unclothed men at your wedding."

I smile at him and then I ask him to take a walk with me.

As we walk, I tell him of the seals in Kakashi's kunai and the ones on my ring and that I thought I saw them on Kakashi's father's wedding band as well.

"Yamato-taichou please teach me the ANBU long-range transportation technique. I just need to know it... if anything were to go wrong in the future. I need to be able to know that I don't have to worry because I will always be able to reach Kakashi wherever he might be."

He sees that I am starting to panic a little and he gives my shoulder a squeeze and then tells me, "Sakura-chan I will teach you. You have done so much for our team that I cannot deny you this. Here let me show you the seals."

We go over the seals slowly and when he is happy with my knowledge he tells me that the last seal will be Dog. That would pinpoint Kakashi's location and take me there in a flash.

_I'm guessing Kakashi's ANBU mask and codename was Dog._

He did warn me that this technique takes more chakra depending on how far the location is. I nod my understanding and he bows to me before going to pack his stuff for the mission.

The scent of ramen fills the air and I follow it, (_I already know where this is going to lead me to)_ must be dinner time.

I see Naruto eating a bowl of ramen sitting next to Hinata. She still blushes when he accidentally brushes up against her.

"Hey Naruto. Hi Hinata, how are you guys?"

"Where good Sakura-chan, I was just telling Hinata that we have an important mission in a couple of hours." His smile is infectious and I can't help but laugh at his antics. He had some noodles stuck to his cheek and was trying to get them with his tongue. Hinata blushes deeply but says, "H-Here Naruto-kun, l-let me" and she rubs her thumb over his fox whisker marks on his cheeks and he is able to catch the stray noodle. He slurps it up but is staring intently into Hinata's eyes.

_Ok, might be a good time to leave…_

I grab a paper napkin nearby and I scribble something on it and leave it on the table before them. I disappear in a flurry of cherry blossoms back to my tent.

_I'll catch him later, before they leave._

I forgot to grab some food for me and Kakashi, so I start to look for some Ichiraku ramen scrolls that I stashed from his last delivery. I had to keep them away from Naruto, so I hid them away to enjoy when I wanted a taste of being back home.

Once I found them, I felt Kakashi's chakra signature close by. He walked in the tent and as soon as he closed the tent, he took off his mask and smiled at me.

He was by my side in an instant and looked at the ramen scrolls and says in my ear, "Seems like you are missing home."

I turn around and look at his dark grey eyes and say to him barely above a whisper, "I am home wherever you are."

I get on my tip-toes and kiss him on the lips very slowly and very softly.

He makes a sound deep in his chest that feels like longing but sounds like a growl and a purr all at once.

Inner Sakura stomps her foot and yells,_ "I thought he was closer to dogs than cats. Cha!"_

I tell Inner Sakura to shut it and let me enjoy this moment.

He breaks the kiss gently and rubs his hands down my arms to my hands. He gives each a squeeze and then says, "I think we should eat first and then we can get back to that."

I adore his smile. It is peaceful and full of love. His eyes though are dancing with a dark hint of lust. He looks away and takes the scrolls to release the piping hot ramen that is awaiting inside. Thank Kami that Tsunade-sama allowed us this one luxury. The smell of Ichiraku's ramen brought us back home and we ate it completely happy with this moment of peace.

* * *

A/N: I love Kakashi's conversations with his parents! He still loves them very much and seeks their guidance and approval in his times of need. Genma a dad! I know he is settled down with Shizune so I couldn't resist. I kinda wanted to illustrate how fast Kakashi has gotten since he was able to disappear, chidori a tree limb and use a katon jutsu before Genma hit the ground. His white chakra has so much potential in the rest of the story that I can't wait!

Well guys I hope you are enjoying this story, because I really enjoy writing it. It has really helped relieve some stress in my life, so thank you all. Please review! The search for Sasuke will be coming up!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 18

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We set our ramen bowls down once we have finished and I look at Sakura. She had already gotten up and started putting things away.

My pack was ready and waiting by the door. She must have packed it up for me while I was gone.

I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Her scent had been driving me crazy all day and right now I could barely control myself.

"Love," I said as I began to lightly kiss the nape of her neck, "I'm going to be leaving in a few hours, please… let me hold you now."

She turns around and her eyes look deep into mine. She only nods and slightly parts her lips as I lean down to pick her up. She never breaks contact with my eyes as she wraps her legs around my waist.

_Kami- she feels incredible._

I lay her down on the bed and support the majority of my weight on my arms as she begins to run her hands down my back. She then brings her arms to my chest and then cups my face with one and her other hand goes straight into my hair.

I groan at her touch and say to her, "Sakura… ahhh… love…"

Then she suddenly pulls me down and begins to kiss me with so much passion. This is her kiss, I let her control it and it is delicious. Her tongue begins to lick my bottom lip asking to let her in and I can only obey her wishes. She then runs her tongue along my teeth and take a small bite of my bottom lip.

_This is unbelievable… Her touch is burning my skin and all I can do is willingly follow her into wherever she may take me._

Her breathing is a little erratic and I am feeling a little dizzy by the intensity of her kisses. I strangle her name out in a low growl and she pulls on my hair a bit harder. I want her so bad that it is actually painful. I know she can feel my arousal and she purposely grinds her hips into me.

I begin to pull away just a bit and she looks straight at me.

"Sakura, love believe me I want you so much right now, but I want to be able to enjoy you for more than a couple of hours. I will have the rest of my life with you and I don't want to rush our first time because we have a mission looming over us. When I make love to you, I want to be able to have you over and over and over. I want you to scream my name and not worry about the entire campsite listening to my wife come as I make her mine. Love, I promise to come back to you and as soon as this mission is finished and we will get married, with or without Tsunade's elaborate plans."

"Plans? Kashi what are you talking about?"

I sigh and I tell her that Shizune is in Konoha getting our wedding together and having her wedding Kimono prepared.

"What! What is Shizune doing in Konoha, we have a war to finish and I never told her my measurements!"

I said one name and she understood, "Ino."

"That pig, thinking she can plan my wedding because she has nothing better to do with her time. Why isn't Ibiki-san putting her to work like my shishou did me? Wait what about Shizune?"

I then proceed to tell her about my encounter with Genma and the news of their pregnancy.

She actually jumps from the bed and then squeals, "I'm gonna be an aunt! I can't believe that she didn't tell me! She must have found out recently because she was here three days ago."

I smile at her and then I laugh and say, "Yeah and Genma is terrified about the possibility of having a baby girl." She puts her hand on her hip and then says, "Ha, of course he would be terrified, but not to worry, if they do have a baby girl she will have strong women to look up to and teach her not to put up with any crap that stupid boys will give her."

_She looks absolutely adorable right now. My little petite Sakura that has fire burning in her eyes._

She begins to realize how late it is and then says, "Kashi, you need to go to sleep, I will not have you leave on a mission with just a couple of hours of sleep."

I get up from the bed and walk up to her. I kiss her forehead and I say, "Love, I am going to take a cold shower, then I will come back to bed and go to sleep. But if you tempt me again I don't know how much control I have left." She raises an eyebrow and then whispers, "Ok, I'll try to be good."

"That's my girl." I give her a chaste kiss on the lips before going into the shower.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I was a little disappointed but I understood what he was saying.

_'When I make love to you I want to be able to have you over and over and over. I want you to scream my name and not worry about the entire campsite listening to my wife come as I make her mine.'_

Inner Sakura was dancing around and I was just trying to process his words over and over.

I absolutely love that man. I could feel his arousal the whole time I was kissing him but he managed to control his emotions because he wanted to make my first time special. I mean my tent was not the most romantic of places and even though Kakashi had set up sound barriers in our tent, I doubt that they could have held in our cries of pleasure.

_He had a point._

Inner Sakura had other thoughts, _"Damn genius brain of his, always thinking of everything. Cha!"_

I hear the water running in the shower so I undress and put on one of his shirts to go to sleep instead of my usual night-gown. His shirt is really loose on me and I figure that it will cover more than the night-gown, but what I love is that I can smell his scent on his shirt. I crawl into bed and try to relax and go to sleep before he comes out so I won't 'tempt' him anymore.

Inner Sakura smirks and says, _"Girl, if you don't think that wearing his shirt won't turn him on, then you don't know men!"_

I think to myself, "Shut it Inner, you don't know men either because we BOTH, have never been with a man. So shut it and let me try to go to sleep!"

She starts laughing in the background and before she fades into my mindscape she says, _"Cha! We'll see about that! Here he comes!"_

I had my back facing the door of the shower so he couldn't see my face and I only felt the covers lift up so he could get in bed. I then heard a gasp followed by a grown and a, "Kami-sama... Woman you are going to drive me crazy."

I feel his arms wrap around my waist and his breath on my neck. "I might have to take another cold shower before I leave on the mission. You look irresistible in my shirt."

I sigh and cuddle myself tighter around his arms and lean into his chest, "Kashi, please wake me up when you are going to leave. I want to be at the gates when you guys take off on the mission. I need to say bye to Naruto, but I really don't want to wake up and feel you gone and start to worry. I would rather see you safely leave the camp gates instead."

"Yes love, don't worry I'll wake you up." I feel his breath close to my ear and there is a shiver that runs down my spine. He automatically holds me closer but I think this 'don't tempt me' situation is not going to work if we are touching like this.

I sigh again and say, "Kashi, I know you need to sleep, do you want me to use a sleep-inducing jutsu."

He knows I can feel him becoming aroused again.

He stays silent for a second but then says, "I trust you love, please do as you wish."

I start to make the seals and then I gather some chakra into my fingertips and reach back towards his temples and let the jutsu settle into place. His breaths slow down until they are even and his body relaxes and then I hear a slight snore coming from behind me. I set the jutsu to lift in a couple of hours, just before dawn. Now that he is asleep I yawn myself and feel his warmth envelop me and I quickly fall asleep.

_A couple of hours later…_

I feel Pakkun licking my fingertips. He was trying to wake me up.

I rub the sleep from my eyes and I look down at Pakkun and smile.

"Hey Pakkun, how are you?" I rub the top of his head and he begins to wag his tail.

"Yo, Sakura is the Boss awake yet? He never sleeps this soundly."

I pick the dog up and put him on my lap. I continue to rub his head and say to him in a whisper, "He is about to leave on a mission and he needed to sleep well, so I placed a sleep-inducing jutsu on him. He should wake up in a few minutes."

Pakkun nods and then looks up at me. I smile and know what he is about to ask, "Come here Pakkun I have something for you." I get off the bed and rummage through my desk. I find the bag of dog snacks that I kept for Akamaru and the other Inuzuka dogs and give him a couple. He jumps off the bed and starts circling around me, "Wow, Sakura those were great, Boss man never gives us any of those. Those must be the famous Inuzuka dog treats huh?"

"Yeah, my friend Kiba gave me a bag to keep for when he and Akamaru come visiting. He told me that your pack might like them too, but Kakashi never seemed to get them for you guys."

Kakashi then suddenly says, "Yeah because if I did, I would never get the pack to leave my house." He starts to rub his eyes and then runs his fingers through his hair. He gets up from the bed and… and… I lost my train of thought because he looked so good in just his black boxers.

He winked at me and then went to the bathroom.

_He knew exactly what he was doing! This is how he must have felt last night and he is getting back at me by looking irresistible!_

He steps out of the bathroom with just his jonin pants that are still unbuckled and hang just right off of his hips.

I quickly turn away to hide my blush and begin to dress myself. By the time a turn around he is already dressed in his usual jonin uniform and is bringing me a rations breakfast pack.

We both begin to eat in relative silence and when we are almost down he asks Pakkun about the tracking mission that he sent them on. He tells them that they are on his trail and the pack will be joining them once they get to a rendezvous point along the trail. He nods and then tells him to go rest until sunrise before they have to leave.

Once Pakkun takes over our bed, Kakashi starts to clean up and then asks me to go take a walk with him.

We start walking around camp and only see the guards doing their rounds. It is relatively peaceful and quiet. We walk to the lake and sit by the shore again. Kakashi lays down on the grass and puts his head on my lap.

"Sakura, please promise me that you will take care of yourself. I know that these last couple of skirmishes that you will be fighting in while we are away are going to be a breeze for you, but I can't help but worry."

"Kashi the same worry you have is the same thing that I feel here." I lift his hand and place it above my heart. He looks at me and then says, "Love do you remember when we were at the memorial wall before the battle and we both said 'No more' at the same time?" I nod but I really don't want to elaborate on to why.

"It's like we are sometimes thinking and feeling the exact same thing. There was this night that you had a nightmare and I felt like I was dreaming of it as well, I mean I actually felt it manifest in my own thoughts. I don't know how to describe it but my life is now completely intertwined with yours. Do you think that the seals and your chakra have just heightened what we felt for each other before?"

_I know I should answer truthfully but I only give him a half answer._

"Kashi, I think the seals might have something to do with it, but I really feel that our love has connected us in a way that we just can't seem to break. When you are happy, I am happy; when you are worried, so am I; when you are sad, I am sad. Do you see that it is because our love is deep that we can anticipate each other's needs."

He sits there thinking looking on to the predawn sky and then sighs, "Yeah, you are right. I have been with you every night these last couple of days that I actually have picked up your scent on me. It doesn't go away even when I take a shower and it relaxes me in a way that I can't explain. It's as if you are right here in my heart all the time."

Shock is clear in my eyes for a split second but I recover and then playfully tap him on the forehead and say almost giggling, "I hope that you always have me in your heart. I might have to tell Kiba, Sai, and Naruto that your intentions with me are less than honorable."

He starts to laugh lightly, then he kisses me and lays his head back on my lap. He says, "Love, you should have seen Sai when he said that, he actually looked like a pissed off older brother."

I then start running my fingers through his hair and say, "Kashi, please be careful on this mission. I know Sasuke hasn't show aggression but that doesn't mean that he won't. He killed his brother for Kami's sake. I know that he had his reasons, with the Uchiha massacre and all that, but even though he claimed to hate him so much, he must have loved him just as much deep inside. I wouldn't be surprised if he has changed in a way that he might not be the Sasuke that we used to know. Naruto won't listen and will try to bring him back no matter what but please, Kashi, if it looks like things will go bad, please just let him go and come back to me."

He looked up at my eyes and then simply said 'yes'.

"Love, do you think that you can show me that white chakra that you have?"

He looked at me surprised and raised an eyebrow, "How did you know about that?"

"Shishou told me about you and your dad's ability to wield white chakra in battle."

"Sakura, I will show you but I don't want you to feel scared by it. What many people don't know is that the white chakra that the Hatake's can manifest depends on their emotions. If I feel threatened or endangered, the chakra is deadly and lethal to the touch. Likewise if I feel other emotions then the chakra will respond accordingly."

"Does it work like medical chakra then? Can it heal?"

"Well yes and no. This chakra influences the mind so when I said that it is lethal it is because it makes the enemy lose their will to fight and the blow from my tanto is what kills them. Since I lost the Sharingan I started thinking back on my previous abilities. I believe that I was able to wield a doujutsu, such as the Sharingan, because my chakra, the white chakra, was able to simulate the bloodline of the Uchiha. Their Sharingan would awaken when certain emotions would surface, likewise my chakra changes and awakens with my own emotions. I mean I wasn't always the silent brooding type for a reason."

I start to giggle and punch him lightly. "Kashi, I don't think you would survive as a comedian, so don't quit your day job."

"Very funny Sakura, but don't you feel different now that I have opened up to you? I haven't done this with anyone before but I opened up a little to Genma by calling him my friend and then before the battle I had a heart-to-heart with Naruto."

"Well I am kinda biased in this situation because I believe that we feel different because we all love and care for you."

"I know, I know, but when my dad was alive, he had the same body type as me and didn't look threatening at all when he was in Konoha. He had an aura of peace, but when out in the battlefield he rivaled any Kage or Sannin of the time. Sakura, I am not a big bulky guy like Hoshigaki Kisame but I can flare my chakra in a way that rivals him and threaten every shinobi in the vicinity in the same way that he does, except that I don't flaunt it. Don't get me wrong, I have no where the amount of chakra that Hoshigaki Kisame has, or Naruto for that matter, but I can 'flex' my chakra in a way that it resembles that. It's like a defensive type of chakra that helps with my offensive moves."

He chuckles and then says, "I haven't been able to do that because of the constant drain of the Sharingan. But as I was losing the Sharingan during Tsukuyomi, I felt my chakra begin to rise out of me, because I felt the change in the enemy nin's minds. I felt their resolve change. I knew that I made the right choice to sacrifice the Sharingan then. It was worth it to be able to feel that kind of connection with others again."

The first rays of the sun started peeking out of the horizon at that time so we went back to the tent to pick up his pack and get Pakkun.

The little dog was ready when we stepped in and bowed his head to the both of us.

"Ready to go?" He looked at both of us and we nodded.

We were the first ones at the gates and when Sai, Yamato-taichou and Naruto showed up they were surprised that Kakashi was actually on time!

"Sakura-chan you are a good influence on Kaka-sensei, he actually made it on time!"

I look over at my blond-headed friend and I hug him tightly.

"Naruto please take care of yourself and take care of my future husband. He can't be late for our wedding you know."

His eyes grew wide and he said, "But I thought you were going to wait to have the wedding in Konoha?"

"Well, there's been a change of plans and we want to have it in a special place that is nearby here. So you have to bring him back on time."

He gives me the biggest grin and then hugs me tighter and whispers, "Believe it."

I give Yamato-taichou a hug and tell him to be careful. I tell him to keep an eye on Naruto and Kakashi because their emotions towards Sasuke might cloud their judgement. He said that he will be there to take care of them too.

Sai is standing there looking a little awkward but I hug him as well. I pull back a little and tell him that he has never been a replacement for Sasuke. I knew that a bitter angry person could say harmful things and that is the state of mind that I might imagine Sasuke to be in, so I didn't want him to hurt Sai with those words. I told Sai that he was my brother now and no matter what Sasuke said, he should not believe it and only believe in us. He looked at me intently and then he hugged me, a little too rough but I wasn't complaining.

Finally I turn to Kakashi and I look into his dark grey eyes and I say all the words that I want to tell him with that one look. He seems to understand because his eyes reflect those same emotions towards me. I begin to see a flicker of white on his fingertips and then he presses it to my chest right over my heart. I suddenly feel everything at once: love, devotion, happiness, worry, apprehension, protectiveness, possessiveness, want, longing, and finally peace.

He was telling me that he didn't want me to worry for him and that he loved me.

I was speechless and then I was brought back to reality with a simple kiss that he gave me before squeezing my hand and turning towards the gates.

_Kami-sama, please protect the man who I love, bring him back to me. He is the reason for my very next breath._

* * *

A/N: So here is the longest chapter yet! I hope you guys are enjoying the developing relationship with Kakashi and Sakura. I know that it has been slow but I want to get across how much they truly love each other, it's not just lust, it's true love for them.

Like I said the white chakra is important and it is what is connecting a lot of things together, the seal that Sakura placed on Kakashi's heart has also connected them in a deeper way, if that is even possible, but they do share some of the same thoughts and feelings.

Please review! Love you guys!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 19

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_Mom… Dad… Thank you for giving me this gift. Without it I wouldn't be able to express myself in this way to her. I never thought that our simple bloodline limit could be used in such a way. Please protect her and keep her safe until I get back. I promised her parents that I would always watch out for her._

I can't look back now, I have to keep on walking, leading my team into the forest to meet up with my ninken.

My senses are so attuned to her that I can feel her heart clench and a sense of sadness fill her. I know that she is crying so I try to flex my chakra a bit and flare it towards her. That is when I feel her chakra relax and a sense of peace envelopes her. My team sensed it too because they all stopped for a second and Naruto grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back a bit.

"Kaka-sensei, did you just do that? T-that feeling… that came from you?"

I nod at him and then continue to walk on ahead.

Naruto was quiet for a good 20 miles, but he felt calm the entire way to the rendezvous point.

We see my pack of ninken and we stop for a short break to analyse the map and form our course of action. Bull tells me where the trail went cold but it is a good ways from here so hopefully we can pick up the scent elsewhere. Yamato and I are looking over the map and begin to talk about what to do when we actually meet up with Sasuke. He recommended a complete stealth recon approach first, but I countered that if we showed signs of hostility first, Sasuke might misinterpret them and think we are hunting him down instead of wanting to talk with him.

Naruto and Sai had been talking near the pack and then they came up to us to listen to our plan. Naruto agreed with my plan, and Sai naturally gravitated towards Yamato. It was understandable, they didn't know Sasuke personally and all they heard was things like '_traitor'_ or '_The Curse of the Uchiha_' so I couldn't blame them, but I sure didn't like it. We compromised by having Sai and Yamato run stealth recon, while me and Naruto approached out in the open. It made sense since he and I were stronger fighters and Yamato could use his wood-style jutsu to entrap him while Sai distracted with either ink birds or other ink animals if things turned out bad.

_Our journey to find Uchiha Sasuke, had just begun._

* * *

Sakura's POV

As I saw my team turn around and start walking into the forest I had the feeling that I was being left again, that I was not going to be there to protect them if anything happened, just like when I was a genin. My eyes started to sting and I knew that I wanted to cry. I suddenly felt a surge of peacefulness come from Kakashi's retreating figure, and I immediately knew that he would take care of the rest of our team. I wiped my tears away and started walking back to camp.

I headed over to shishou's tent and as soon as I get there I almost run into Kiba-kun.

"Hey Sakura, how's it going?"

"I'm ok Kiba-kun, what are you doing here so early?"  
"Ah, well you see Hokage-sama is beginning to give her instructions for the our eventual departure. I have to get to Hana to start preparing any of the animal familiars ready to move out as soon as we finish these last couple of skirmishes with the enemy. I… I was also informed that I would change divisions to be under your command for the remainder of the war."

"But… you aren't part of the medical corps."

"Ha, Sakura did you forget that you have taken over Kakashi's place while he is away? Shikamaru will be your liaison with intelligence. I heard he recommended you for the position because of your tactical advice during the last battle."

I look up at the sky and sigh, "Ok that's fine. I better go in and see what else they are going to have me do."

Kiba-kun then grabs my hand and says, "Look Sakura, I wanted to tell you that I wanted to go on that mission with your team to get Uchiha back, but Kakashi said that Akamaru and I would be needed her at your side instead. His pack can track just as good as Akamaru here… and… well we don't want you to feel that you are alone. I love you like a sister and if there is anything that you need, let me know."

I look at him and he is smiling at me, so I give him a kiss on the cheek and then hug him and say, "Thanks Kiba-kun, for everything."

He blushes a little and then Akamaru nudges my leg and I drop on one knee to hug him as well.

They both say their goodbyes and then vanish in blur.

I walk into my shishou's tent and she is already drinking her sake this early in the morning.

"Sakura! Come here and tell me what you think of this map. We have been notified by our scouts that we only have a couple of rogue cells that are hiding in this part of the mountains. What are your thoughts?"

I look over the map and the position of the nins in question and then give her a couple of suggestions. She then tells me that I will follow Gaara's division to the East and then head over to the north side of this mountain.

_I know that Kakashi and the boys would be heading north but I didn't know that they might also come into contact with enemy nins._

"Sakura… are you paying attention?"

"Hai! We are to follow Gaara and then go north. I will ready the medical teams that are combat ready and assign them accordingly."

"Ok, sounds good. Look Sakura, I know that you are worried but don't be. Kakashi has been through worse and he has always somehow managed to come back alive."

_She forgot to say that most of those times he was barely hanging on to life but I ignore it for now. I am reassured that my chakra seals will help him, and if not, then there is always that other one in his heart._

"Shishou, how is Shizune? Kakashi told me the news and I just want to make sure that she is ok."

Her eyes brightened and she began to squeal, "Can you believe it? I'm gonna be a grandmother! Well she is doing fine, I checked her myself, she is still early so I wanted to send her to Konoha and be away from all of this unnecessary stress. You know as soon as the wedding festivities are over for your own wedding, I expect some grandbabies from you too!"

"Festivities!? Shishou, please I told you that we don't want anything grand at all. I made a list of the guests that we both want to be there and it only includes our close friends and family. And… And we want the wedding to happen after Kakashi gets back. I… I mean we can't wait anymore and moreover there is this special place where we want the ceremony to take place."

She looks at me with misted eyes and says, "But… but I want this to be special for you. Look at Shizune, we did her wedding in the center of camp after a battle and there were only wounded or drunk shinobi for her 'reception'! We had rations for Kami's sake!"

I interrupt her and remind her, "Yes we did, but do you remember her and Genma's face. They were absolutely at peace and felt all the love of their comrades. No one was sad or upset, they were all happy; you were happy too."

"Ok, Sakura but you have to promise me that you will at least wait until Shizune can come back with your wedding Kimono, indulge me in this. I want Kakashi to see what his money was worth."

I nod at her and then tell her that I will go do my rounds at the medic tents and then go check on our departure time with Gaara.

The medic tents were pretty much being taken care of by Hinata and Ino. Since there were no fatal injuries during the battle, I believe that they could handle the job. I asked a couple of the nurses to gather supplies for 10 medic teams to be ready to depart when the Kazekage gives us the order. They nod and start getting things ready.

By lunch time I head over to the center of camp to get some food. Once I open up my rations pack and begin to eat, Genma takes the seat in front of me and asks me how I am doing.

"Congratulations Genma-san on the happy news!"

His eyes are sparkling and he seems so happy.  
"Kakashi told ya huh?"

"Of course he did, do you think I wouldn't have found out! I hear you want a baby girl."

He almost chokes on his senbon, _something that I would have never thought possible,_ and quickly clears his throat, "What… Why would you say that?!"

"Oh come on, you don't have to worry about a baby girl. Look they are always close to their daddy and they shower them with love and affection. You will have your daughter and Shizune fawning over you. Knowing you, you will love that kind of attention. Plus, her mom is a poisons expert, no stupid boy will ever dare to disrespect your daughter unless he wants to meet his death at the end of a poisoned needle to his throat."

His color begins to return to his face as he starts thinking over my words. He then gives me a smile and then nods, "You are right Sakura-chan, I'll teach those punks a thing or two about messing with my baby girl."

"Look Genma it's too early to tell what you will have right now, so don't begin to plan out the death of your future daughter's suitors if you don't even know if you will have a daughter to begin with."

He smiles sheepishly and then begins to eat his own ration pack. Between bites he tells me that he has requested a change in division so he can serve under my command. I raise my eyebrow and then say, "Did Kakashi ask you to do this?"

"No he didn't specifically say that, he just said to keep an eye on you. He knows you can defend yourself but he wants someone who cares for you to keep and eye out. Look before you get mad and punch me through the wall, answer me this: Did you or did you not ask the same thing of your teammates?"

I can't argue with him. I asked each one of them to watch out for him, even though he is one of Konoha's best.

Genma see's the defeated look on my face and then releases a breath that he was unconsciously holding in.

He resumes eating and then says, "Oh and the list of things you want for your wedding… I sent it to Shizune via messenger bird this morning. Kakashi told me you didn't want a big wedding so I will have her reign in her shopping spree."

_Oh Kashi you truly think of everything._

I say goodbye to Genma and head towards the Kazekage's tent.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

It was a little after one in the afternoon so we decided to stop and eat something before setting out again.

We set up a perimeter around our temporary camp and take out our lunch rations.

"Kaka-sensei, do you think we will get teme back?"

Naruto sits next to me and gives me a hopeful look.

"I can tell you that we will find him and we will get to talk to him, but I can't guarantee that he will willingly come back with us."

"But he's our teammate, I'll convince him, just you wait and see. He… he doesn't have to be alone anymore."

I see how those words are what has been pushing him forward all of this time. He doesn't want to be alone, he never liked being alone, so he doesn't wish it on others.

_I sometimes wonder what kind of man would Naruto be if Minato-sensei and Kushina-san had been there for him growing up._

_I wonder what kind of man I would have been, had I had my mother and father as well…_

_Sasuke had all of those things, he had love and a family and then it was ripped away from him all in one night._

_Sakura… Her parents taken away through senseless violence._

_We are all the same…._

_Yamato and Sai don't know where they came from, and the sad thing is that they will never know._

look back at Naruto and then look down at my hands holding my ration pack.

"Naruto, look at all of our friends. Most of us have suffered great loss early in life… some of us have never met our parents…. and others have had those parents taken away from them viciously. We can't change the past but we can mold our future. Our actions today will shape our views of the future and hopefully make it better. I chose all of you to be my family so in the end we are never alone, as long as we choose to be part of something greater."

He smiles and then says, "I am glad that you did get to meet my parents and they were an influence on you. Kaka-sensei you have taught me what my dad would have taught me so... thanks! I am glad that I have you, baa-chan and pervy sage to help me out."

"Come on guys lets finish up and get back on the trail."

* * *

Sakura's POV

I approach Gaara's tent and flare my chakra a bit. He opens the tent himself and welcomes me inside.

"Sakura-san, I am glad that you could make it. I take it Tsunade-sama has spoken with you?"

"Thank you Gaara-sama, and yes shishou has spoke with me about the plans to move out. When do you plan on giving out the orders to head out."

"I plan on leaving once the medic teams have been formed and adequately supplied."

"I took care of that this morning, I have 10 teams ready to go at a moments notice."

"I can see why Shikamaru put so much trust in your leadership skills. Tell me, are you ready to take on this upcoming challenge?"

"Gaara-sama, I have been in a couple of battles myself and I have had to deal with my team, so hopefully that can give me some credibility…" I smile at him and he gives me the barest hint of a smile too.

"Gomen, I did not mean to insult you, I know you are a highly skilled shinobi, what I meant is, are you ready to have _him_ back in Konoha? Naruto has been on this quest to get the Uchiha back for so long, I know that this has affected Team 7's inner dynamics."

"Sasuke, is a wild card, he is unpredictable now that he has had his vengeance on his brother. I for one, know that he is a changed man. He is no longer the teammate that I used to have, but I know the trauma that he must have had to face has hurt him deeply. As a medic, there is a part of me that wants to heal that, but not at the cost of my loved ones."

"I am glad that you have set your feelings in order. I plan on moving out in about an hour, please have all the teams ready at that time."

"Gaara-sama, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sakura-san you can ask me anything, I am indebted to you in more ways than one."

I smile and say, "Come on, you don't have to be so formal, please allow me this and we can call it even, ne?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well… I need to have Kiba-kun put in command as my co-commander. He is an ANBU captain in his own right and has enough battle experience to handle this job. I will be needing to concentrate on healing as well as leading a battle so I wish to have him as my equal, not my subordinate. I trust his judgements and will be able to perform my other duties with less worry about the others."

He nods but then says, "There is something else that is bothering you, I can feel it in my sand that is still in your wrist. Could it be your team?"

I blush a little and nod slightly, "Gaara-sama, they don't have a medic on their team and they are going to a possible confrontation with a severely psychologically traumatized man who can pose a danger to them and possibly my village." I tell him that I want him to allow me to leave the battlefield to give my team aid if need be.

"Is that the reason you want Kiba-san to have command as well? Some people might consider that desertion, but knowing that Naruto is on your team and might be in danger I will allow it, only if the situation in dire and it is a true emergency. I don't want the future Hokage of Konoha to be taken out and have all the work that he and Kakashi-san did go to waste. Is there a way that you will know if they are in trouble? I know Sai has his ink birds that can deliver messages but they might not make it in time. I told him that I know some long-distance ANBU transportation techniques that will help me get to them if the worse possible scenario were to happen."

"Sakura-san, you never cease to amaze me. I would be honored if you were to come to Suna after the war to help us set up an educational system for future medics."

I stand up and bow slightly and turn around to find and inform my division captains to get our teams ready.

_1 hour later…_

My division forces set out following Gaara, and Kiba-kun is walking at my side with the biggest grin on his face.

"Don't worry Sakura, we are going to be fine. We will finish off this war and Kakashi-senpai will be back with you and we will celebrate your wedding with style."

He grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze and Akamaru comes up to my other side so I can pet his head.

I smile at my two friends and march forward through the camp gates.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! Story continues. I had trouble uploading yesterday, ff site had some processing errors with uploads so I do apologize.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 20

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_His movements don't make sense._

_I feel like we are going around in circles. _

_Is he playing with us? _

_Does he know that we are looking for him? _

_Does he even want to be found?_

I have Sai send a messenger bird to Hokage-sama informing her of our location and Sasuke's erratic pattern of behavior.

One day we were going north, then we are backtracking southeast all night long, then he heads west before going northwest again.

Naruto is getting frustrated and Sai's comments are not helping the blond control himself. We have been doing this for the last two weeks and frankly I am tired and my ninken need to rest. It is just after noon on day number thirteen of our search for him and we all need to rest to recharge our chakra properly.

"Ok guys we are going to set up camp here for the night, I'll have the ninken rest up tonight and then I'll send them out tomorrow morning to start tracking again. Naruto please don't complain, I know you have Kurama's chakra and amazing reserves of your own but we do not. We are resting and that is final. Sasuke know's where we are and if he wants to be found today he will make his presence known. I am in no mood to be playing hide and seek with him."

He sits down on a nearby log and puts his hands on his face covering his eyes. I know that this is taking a toll on him because he is smiling less and less and his mood is darker because we can sometimes see a bit of red chakra seep out when he is upset.

I tried using a bit of white chakra to calm him down last week but Kurama would have none of it. Naruto fought with me for about an hour straight until Yamato was able to contain him and he calmed down on his own. Since then we have been taking longer breaks and Yamato has tried to get Sai to keep his comments to a minimum.

I start the fire and begin to start cooking dinner. We have been eating nothing but rations while on the move, so today I cooked some rice that I bought from a traveling merchant yesterday and Yamato went to catch some fish in the river.

_Maybe a good meal will do us some good._

"Kaka-sensei, that smells good what are you cooking? Is it ramen?"

I chuckle at this sudden change of mood, "Sorry Naruto, just some fish and rice. That's all we have."

"Hey have you heard from Gaara and Sakura-chan?"

I received a message from Sakura last night from Hokage-sama's reply from our last status report.

"Tsunade-sama says that she is doing great, the enemy cells to the east are being taken care of by Gaara's forces and Sakura and Kiba are cleaning house in the north. There are very few rogue nin cells left in the mountains to the north because of them."

"That's great I knew that they could do it! Hopefully she can go back to camp and we can finally find teme and bring him home too."

He was trying to sound convincing but his usual spark wasn't there. He was also getting tired of Sasuke's run around tactics.

I hand him his bowl of rice and tell him to sit down and eat, he will take first watch with Yamato and I will take second watch with Sai.

He nods and begins eating in silence.

Once we finish our meal I head in to my tent to get some much needed sleep. Once my head hit my sleeping bag, I was asleep.

* * *

Sakura's POV

These skirmishes have been taken care of in relative ease, hopefully we can wrap this up in a couple of days and go home. Our trip to the north side of the mountains helped outmaneuver the rogue cells and they have almost all but surrendered. Half of my battalion has been sent back to camp on Gaara's orders because we are almost done here.

Kiba-kun's leadership role has been praised by many of our comrades and I am just so proud of his accomplishments. The injured are taken care of immediately and we have had very few casualties.

These last two weeks have been stressful since I have only heard from Kakashi a couple of times from Tsunade's reports.

They haven't seen Sasuke and have just been going around in circles.

Tsunade has given them three days to find him or else they are to come back to camp.

I see Kiba-kun walking up to me, "Sakura, Hey I just heard that we are going to have to move out in two hours, Gaara-sama is moving out now and he says that as soon as we finish we can head back to camp."

He suddenly runs up to me and gives me a hug as he swings me around in the air, "Sakura, I think this is all finally over!"

I start giggling and when he puts me down I suddenly feel a lightness come over my heart.

"If I am almost done here then maybe I can ask Tsunade-sama to allow me to go find my team so I can help them too."

Kiba-kun says, "Sakura, I'll personally track them for you and get you there."

I smile at him and tell him that we should alert the rest of our forces and start getting ready to move out.

I might not like these evening battles but if it means finishing this, while taking the rogues by surprise, we don't have a choice.

My teams set out right after an early dinner and move in complete silence in an attempt to take the enemy by surprise just as they are settling down for the night.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I woke up when I heard Naruto land near my sleeping bag signaling that it was my turn for watch. Sai was also just getting up and prepping his pack.

We both jumped up to the trees to keep a better lookout and watched Yamato and Naruto settle down for the night.

After about an hour we heard some rustling nearby. It could be anything really so we didn't want to alert Naruto and Yamato. Sai nodded at me before taking out one of his scrolls and quickly drawing some ink mice to go into the forest and find out what made that noise.

We were both on alert and had our kunai and shuriken ready to launch at a moments notice.

There were no sounds so I bit my thumb and summoned my pack silently.

I whispered to them, "Guys I want you to make a perimeter and make sure that whatever is out there doesn't go in or out. I have a bad feeling about this. They disappear into the night and we wait on the ink mice to return.

When his ink mice didn't come back we knew that something was wrong. Sai dropped down to camp and started to wake up Yamato and Naruto but before he could he was suddenly hit with some kunai in both of his arms and a couple of shuriken on his back.

The only noise he made was a small cry of pain as he softly hit the ground.

Naruto woke with a start and was only able to dodge a volley of exploding tags that were attached to kunai that were aimed right at him.

Yamato picked Sai up and jumped up towards the trees. A sudden change in Sai's chakra was felt and the areas where the kunai and shuriken hit were starting to glow green. The seals that Sakura had placed on him started to morph and adjust around the injury. The blood slowly stopped and the kunai and shuriken slowly fell from his body.

Sai looked up at us and said that he was fine now but we should probably avoid having Sakura's chakra drop by healing unnecessary wounds.

He had a point and I always worried that we might be a drain on her chakra just as the Sharingan was on me. Her perfect chakra control is amazing but it has a limit. I would never forgive myself if she was injured herself but was using her chakra to save me instead.

We continued to jump from tree to tree to avoid the attacks that were directed at us.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I felt a sudden slight drop in my chakra and I felt Inner Sakura start yelling at me.

"_It was Sai-kun, he was injured but it was not serious. I believe that they are being ambushed. Their heartbeats have increased and I feel increased levels of adrenalin in their blood."_

I was in the middle of healing a comrade when I felt the seals start to activate within my mind.

Once I got my patient stabilized, I took him to the closest ally and told him to take him to the medic tents that were set up about a mile from here.

_I need to get to my team. They might be in danger._

_Where is Kiba-kun? I need to let him know that I need to leave._

I run towards his chakra signature but I am ambushed by four enemy nins.

I needed to conserve as much chakra as I could in order to perform the long distance transportation jutsu, so chakra enhanced punches were out of the question. I needed to keep my reserves as high as possible if I needed to heal anyone else. I block some of their attacks with my kunai, but I miss the fifth hidden nin that was about to throw a fuma shuriken that he was aiming my way. I was still fighting a nin and was unable to jump when I braced for the impact of the fuma shuriken that never came.

I heard a loud thud as a body crumpled in front of me.

I looked down to see Genma-san bleeding in front of me.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I countered the attacks coming from a group of masked shinobi.

There is a large looking guy that is running towards me with what appears to be an ax coming from his arm.

I counter his blow with my ninjato and jump ahead towards the trees.

I notice that Yamato is having a difficult time with a ninja that seems to transform his body into water. I doubt that they are water clones. The movement is to fluid and planned.

Naruto is being bombarded with senbon and shuriken from somewhere along the treetops. I couldn't detect any chakra from any direction but my attention is now being focused on this large shinobi that seems to be changing right in front of me. All I see is Naruto trying to attack the unknown ninja with his resengan.

Sai joins my side already drawing some ink creatures to attack the changing form of the man in front of us.

"Are those cannons coming out of his back?" Sai is furiously drawing different creatures that seem to have no effect on this man. I push him out of the way as a blast comes directly at us. We both jump but are caught in the hold of the water ninja. I begin to charge up my chidori but I remember that without the Sharingan it is now an incomplete jutsu. I charge up my hand enough to blast through the tree limb next to us and distract him enough to let go.

We all retreat back to where Naruto was and before he can create another resengan all attacks stop and we hear someone approach us from behind.

We turn around and see Sasuke walking towards us

* * *

Sakura's POV

I yell, "Genma-san!"

Kiba-kun runs up to us as I drop to my knees to examine my fallen friend.

I can hear Akamaru growl as he encircles us in a protective stance.

"Genma-san what were you thinking! I need to stabilize you, don't move!"

"Hey Sakura-chan, I'm glad you are ok. Kakashi would have killed me if anything happened to you."

"Shut up right now, I need to stabilize you. How can you do such a stupid thing, you have a baby on the way. Shizune would be devastated if anything happened to you too."

I continue to heal him as Kiba-kun and Akamaru provide us some cover.

I remove the giant shuriken and start healing the main artery as quick as possible before he bleeds out in front of me. I am almost finished when I hear Kiba-kun run up to us.

"Sakura, is Genma-san ok?!"  
"Yes Kiba-kun, I stabilized him but I am afraid that we need to take him to the medic tent now. I closed off the main artery but he is still bleeding profusely and I think the tip might have been poisoned. He is starting to go into shock."

"Put him on Akamaru, he will take him and we will meet up there in a bit. I will finish this off and get our troops back to base."

I set off with Genma and Akamaru and as soon as we get to the medic tents the nurses run out to help us. I start giving orders on what I need to extract the poison and how many units of blood I will need. I tell them not to give him the pills to coagulate the blood lest we keep the poison entrapped in those cells.

I am working against time right now and I don't have the luxury to make any mistakes.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

There is a glint on Sasuke's eyes that was never there before. It is a mix of regret and hate. I can't get around it but it is as if he wants to talk but he is still consumed by his hate towards something.

"Teme, we are here to bring you back, what is the deal with all of this? Who are these people who you are with?" Naruto is shaking with anticipation and his kyubi chakra seems to slip through in small little bursts.

Sasuke ignores him completely and stares right at me.

"So, it is true. You have lost the Sharingan. Kakashi you must feel pretty useless now that you can't even use the jutsu that you taught me."

I say nothing but put my ninjato away. I tried to approach him but I felt his eyes suddenly shift into the Mangekyo Sharingan in an instant.

I think we all noticed it because our gaze fell just by a fraction to avoid his eyes.

"Sasuke, what is it that you want? You have been gathering information on us since the last major battle, what are your motives?"  
"Always to the point huh? Tell me why do you associate yourself with Danzo's subordinates?"

"Teme, listen they are no longer with that man. Sai has changed, he is part of our team now…"

"Team you say! You tried to replace me huh? All of you loyal to Konoha always just obey, none of you think about the consequences of blindly following orders."

I see the masked nins come up behind Sasuke and start to approach us as well.

We all start to draw our weapons and get in a defensive stance.

Sasuke speaks up, "You three take those other two out but leave my old 'teammates' to me."

He beigns to charge at us and I can feel the killing intent within him rise to levels that I had never felt before.

He kicks Naruto but Naruto blocks his kick yet misses the punch to the ribs that he couldn't deflect. I try to approach from behind but I am thrown backwards as he deflects my attack.

Sasuke takes out his katana and begins to attack the both of us at once.

I must admit that Sasuke has gotten fast and improved in his abilities. I might not have the Sharingan but I can admit great skill when I see it.

"Sasuke please listen to us, things have changed. We want peace in the villages and are all working together for that cause. I sacrificed the Sharingan to prove to you that its power can be used for good. It is not just a destructive tool, but an asset to Konoha itself."

"That is all lies! Konohagakure is nothing but power-hungry and evil. Why would I go back to the place that sought power by wiping out my clan. What good did it do, if the only survivor will avenge their deaths and bring honor to my brother's name!"

"Wait-What?! Teme, what do you mean? I thought that you hated Itachi for what he did to your family?"

"You know nothing Naruto! If you knew to what lengths Itachi went to ensure the wellbeing of your precious village, you wouldn't even be able to come close to his level of loyalty. He told me what Danzo made him do and for that you will all pay!"

Sasuke looked directly at Naruto and entrapped him in his own version of Tsukuyomi. Naruto was trapped in his illusion and couldn't move for a couple of seconds.

There was nothing that I could do to help him break this genjutsu _but maybe…_ I charged some of my white chakra to my fingertips and as I charged towards Sasuke, I jumped over him and landed right behind Naruto and infused him with it to see if that would break it. I slightly charged my other hand with some lightning and gave him a slight jolt. He snapped out of it but he is severely drained of energy.

"Kaka-sensei… thanks… he was trying to take over Kurama… He is… strong. He showed me what Danzo and the elders made Itachi do. Itachi… he is not a traitor… he followed orders… the council made him… kill his clan... then… then he had me relived each of his family members deaths"

"Rest Naruto, let Kurama heal you. I need to talk with my student…"

"Student! Don't make me laugh, the only thing that I can thank you for is this jutsu that I know you will be unable to use now that you don't have the Sharingan!"

"Sasuke please listen…" I deflect his attacks with my ninjato, "things are changing.." he kicks the tree next to me and it almost pins me beneath it "you no longer have to feel that way. Things are different, Naruto is changing these things as we speak." A loud crash from behind and then I feel a piercing pain to my shoulder. He stabbed me with his sword, but I kept on blocking his attacks.

"Sasuke, I knew your brother… I was his ANBU captain… I know he was loyal…" I deflect some more kunai and avoid his blade this time. "I never knew that he was dealing with Danzo, if I did I would have stopped him. I hate Danzo's motives and actions as well. He hurt some people that were precious to me too."

Sasuke's katon jutsus were coming at me one right after the other as he tried to hit me. I felt intense heat as he tried to attack with Amaterasu. I managed to move out of the way just in time. I didn't want to flare my chakra just yet but I needed speed to get out of there.

"Ah, you seem to have gained some speed since you lost the Sharingan. I guess it was too much for a Hatake to carry the prized possession of the Uchiha."

Sasuke charged his blade with his chidori and came straight at me with full force. I brought out my tanto and charged it with white chakra.

As Sasuke came near, I braced myself for his attack.

I brought my tanto and held it above my head just as Sasuke's sword was about to hit me. With my other hand I pushed some white chakra straight into his heart and jumped back.

He screamed in what looked like pain but then said, "Kakashi! What have you done?! What is this feeling coursing through my body?!"

I didn't notice the kunai that he had managed to lodge in my side when I touched his chest and blocked his sword.

I gasped and held my side. "I… I… wanted you to see what those ninjas faced while under my Tsukuyomi… I'm… not… lying… things are… changing. You can change things too….I also transferred my thoughts on how Naruto, Sakura and you could lead Konoha into a new age. Sasuke I don't… want… to fight… you… Please… forgive me… I was a failure to… you and to… Itachi…. I should have...seen the signs… been a better sensei."

So many emotions are running through his face that I can't read some of them. I think he was mainly shocked at the intensity of all the thoughts and feelings that I transferred to him.

Naruto limps in my direction, "Sasuke, please come back and help me build our village up. There will be no need for hatred between clans. Our friends, you… you will all be clan heads and we can change this way of thinking forever. No longer will we be bound to what those old guys on the council say, we can change things."

Sasuke looked confused but before he could say anything one of his 'teammates' kicked Naruto clear across the clearing right towards Sasuke and I then felt a blade pierce my chest.

"Kaka-sensei!"

There are howls in the distance...

The last thing I saw was Sasuke yell, "Stop, leave him alone!"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger. I was hesitant to go all out with Kakashi's new strength, especially if he is trying to convince Sasuke on coming back. I felt that having Sasuke feel what he felt might have hit him harder than brute force. Plus Kakashi was only on the defensive, he never initiated an attack on him. Please review!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 21

* * *

Sakura's POV

My chakra was draining fast and I could feel Inner Sakura screaming at me that something was definitely wrong. She was attempting to heal all four of them at the same time, while I was extracting the poison from Genma's body.

I was nearly done when Kiba-kun burst through the doors and gasped at the sight of me.

"Sakura, your hair!"

"W-What?! Kiba-kun I am trying to concentrate here!"

"Sakura, you have a chunk of white strands of hair, and your ring is flickering on and off."

_NO…_

_NO…_

_This can't be happening…_

I finished extracting the last bit of poison and then tell the nurses to bring me a soldier pill. I am going to need as much chakra as I possibly can.

I feel all four seals glowing as Inner Sakura tries to heal Naruto, Sai, and Yamato. Kakashi's seal is the one that I feel the greatest strain on.

I take the soldier pill that the nurse brought and start making some hand seals. I concentrate on the seal that I placed on Kakashi's heart and send sporadic bursts of chakra to keep the rhythm. Kiba-kun looks as frantic as I probably do and I show him my ring with the seals.

"I recognize them, they are ANBU transportation seals, why… Oh Kakashi-senpai carved them on the ring."

I nod and tell him that we need to get to him as soon as possible.

Gaara bursts in through the tent and says, "Sakura I am feeling the sand in Kakashi's wrist, he is in trouble."

I can only nod again.

"Go to him, we will catch up, if he is injured then surely it was a trap. We will send reinforcements."

Once he leaves, Kiba-kun turns to me and we both make the ANBU seals, I tell him that Dog is the last one and once the last seal is made my ring starts glowing blue.

A flash of lightning in the sky marks our arrival and then I see him…

_He is lying on the floor…_

Naruto is holding Sasuke back…

Sai and Yamato-taichou have subdued three other individuals…

I then lock eyes with him…

I don't see the warm rich dark grey tones...

They look empty.

_Kashi… No love please don't…_

It started to rain...

I run to him and immediately start healing his wounds. The seal on his heart is keeping it going but he is bleeding from three severe wounds. The one on his chest is the worst. It cut clear across his lungs and that is not helping him breath.

My chakra is going fast due to the transportation jutsu but I don't care.

"Naruto! Lend me your chakra!"

_Please…_

I feel Naruto's hand touch my shoulder and I start to frantically work against time now…

I hear Kakashi's pack get closer to us. Pakkun is a couple feet away but he has his head close to the floor with one paw covering his eyes.

Sasuke sits across me…

He lifts his hand and says, "Sakura…"

"Don't you dare say a word to me… Stay away from him… He only wanted to show you another path… He wanted to help you see… Please… I need to concentrate."

With that he scooted back a couple of feet but his eyes were intent on what I was doing.

My chakra kept flowing into him, moving the blood into his vital organs. Keeping oxygen in his lungs. Healing tissue damage and severed arteries. Everything was healing… my execution was perfect, I made no mistakes… but I couldn't feel his chakra...

"Kashi…No… love… don't leave me"

My ring started flickering and the blue chakra began fading bit by bit.

Naruto had stopped sending me chakra because he didn't feel anything else emanating from Kakashi.

The pack started to howl…

A flash of lightning followed by a loud crash of thunder

_NO… Kashi take me with you…._

Naruto started to pull me away, "Sakura-chan.. I'm… sorry"

"Don't you say it Naruto, Not to me… I will not fail in this… I love him and will not let him die!"

Naruto starts pulling me again so I punched him so hard it sends him flying into a tree.

I start to form some seals and then I push all of my chakra into him, I started to use the technique Chiyo-sama used on Gaara and began pouring my life force into him.

Naruto yelled at someone to stop me because of what I was doing, he knew that I would give my life for Kakashi and that is just what I had in mind.

I suddenly felt arms wrap around my waist and then I heard Sasuke whisper into my ear, "Sakura, stop… It is too late, I am sorry.. I never meant to hurt you."

That was the last straw, I hurled him over me and I punched a crater between everyone else and Kakashi and me.

I searched for his chakra and I couldn't feel it anymore.

My tears couldn't stop and I cried into his chest.

I took a look at my ring and saw his blue chakra faintly coming from the center of the cherry blossom.

"_Sakura, I will always be with you. Look at your ring, my chakra is there and therefore, I will always be with you."_

I remembered his words and I suddenly turn my ring so that the cherry blossom is in my palm and I rip off his shirt and jacket.

I raise my hand and suddenly hit him with my palm effectively piercing his skin with the ring and the last bit of his chakra that I had.

I start to send some more of my life force into him and I kept whispered to him, "You promised to be with me and never leave me alone. You promised me eternity…"

…

rain is washing away his blood, it is covering the tracks of my tears, it is washing away my soul

...

…

I hear a faint, "Always…"

* * *

A/N: So this is the famous chapter that was inspired by the song "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons (One of my favorite bands). Please go and listen to it. This song is what inspired this scene and it is what moved me to write this story. The entire song is like a goodbye to a loved one while they are asking for forgiveness. I couldn't get this scene out of my head and that is the basis of the story that I wrote.

Ok sorry it was so short (shortest chapter ever) but it was really emotional so I will leave it at that and continue the story tomorrow once I have dried my tears and stopped being emotional. Having Sakura be the only one to experience this is very dramatic because she is losing the one person who kept her grounded throughout all of her pain. He was supposed to save her, but she was really saving him all along.

Kakashi is my favorite and it was so hard writing his death. Please review!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 22

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_I no longer feel so much pain in my chest and I can finally breath properly._

_Where am I?_

_I begin walking and I feel a sense that I am not supposed to be here. _

_My heart clenches erratically for some reason._

_There is darkness all around me as I approach a campfire with two figures sitting closely together._

_I walk up to them and I realize that I had been in this same situation before._

_My father's white hair is visible in the shining light and I see his arm wrapped around a woman of small frame with short hair. She was excited about something because her hands were animated and I could hear her laughing at something that my dad said. _

_I walk up to them slowly and my father is the first one to turn around._

"_Son, I didn't expect for you to be here so soon. Come, I have someone who is excited to see you."_

_I am a little apprehensive but the atmosphere is light and there is a feeling of love all around us._

_I continue to walk up to the campfire and my father brings me towards the woman who was sitting next to him. _

_She looks up at me and I see the exact color of eyes that I have. They are dark grey and full of light and joy. She smiles at me and approaches me slowly._

"_Kakashi, this is your mother, Hatake Mitsuko."_

_I stare at her, she has short spiky light brown hair and soft facial features. _

_I stand absolutely still and all I can do is pull down my mask to take slow shallow breaths._

"_My son… I know that this must be a shock for you since the last time I held you was when you were mere days old. You have grown into a fine man and I have missed you so much. Your father and I have been together since you last spoke with him in this very same spot." She stands up and she takes a step towards me, " May I?"_

_I stay absolutely still, my eyes fixed on hers. _

_She continues to approach me very slowly, and holds her arms up towards me._

_Dad rarely spoke of her, but when he did it was always in complete awe and devotion of his deceased wife. _

_I suddenly drop to my knees and open my arms up to her as well. She closes the distance and I embrace her. She holds me in a warm embrace and I breath in her scent deeply. _

_I can see why Pakkun says I smell like a forest during a lightning storm. _

_My mother…_

_My mother, smells exactly like that. _

_Her name, Mitsuko, is fitting as it means child of light. _

_I never had thought about her chakra nature until now. She was the one that passed on my lightning affinity, and my dad gave me his white chakra abilities. _

_I pull away when I feel my father's hand on my shoulder. _

_I turn to look at him,_ "_How… How is this possible? You said that you would finally be able to rest and see mom again. Am I really dead?"_

_My mother cups my face and gives me kiss on the forehead, "No son, that wonderful woman of yours is working relentlessly to save you, her chakra and life force is what is keeping you alive and in the in-between at the same time. You need to let go son, we will be waiting for you when your time comes, but I needed to tell you how much we both love you and how proud we are that you finally found your center again."_

_My father looks at me, "Son we don't have much time, you don't belong with us yet. You are still needed and you have some promises to keep to a certain young woman. Your story is not finished yet. I love you son."_

_"Mom, Dad, I love you too."  
_

I felt a sudden rush of pain as I hear Sakura's voice…

I feel her body close to me…

_"You promised to be with me and never leave me alone. You promised me eternity…."_

That is the sound of my love…

_Am I dead? I must be dreaming or I truly am dead._

I hear my Sakura crying…

_She should never cry. _

My job is to keep the nightmares away, to protect her.

I hear her words again in my head, _"You promised to be with me and never leave me alone. You promised me eternity…." _

I gather the strength to respond to my love, "Always…"

I suddenly feel her weight off my chest and I see her tearful emerald eyes look at me with hurt, love, and relief.

"Kashi… Please tell me I'm not dead too."

_What is she talking about, why would she be dead too?_

Suddenly I don't care because she is kissing me and I lose all train of thought.

Her kisses are desperate, hungry and full of passion.

"You promised to never leave me alone, don't you ever do that to me again, I couldn't stand losing you again."

"Love I am right here." I try to wrap my arms around her but they hurt so much.

_I feel her take her ring out of my chest… Did I miss something? _

_When did she stab me with her engagement ring? _

The rain is washing the blood off my chest and she is sending me some healing chakra to close the wound.

She sees me try to get up but says, "Kashi, love you are injured please rest."

I suddenly hear my pack start barking and several chakras flare around us.

Naruto and Sasuke approach us first.

Sakura kept an arm around me as if to protect me from them.

Naruto is the first on to say anything, "Kaka-sensei… you made it."

He smiles at me and then I look up to Sasuke who is just watching Sakura embrace me and his eyes are just jumping from her to me and back to her again.

He slumps down to the floor next to me and then lowers his head slightly, "Kakashi… I mean sensei… I… am s-sorry" he turns to Sakura, "Sakura… I am sorry too."

She stops glaring at him as her eyes soften but she still feels tense around him.

I put my hand on his shoulder and sigh, "Sasuke, I forgive you… but you must promise me that you will never stab me again, I don't think Sakura will have any mercy on you if you do." I start to chuckle but then stop because my ribs hurt so much.

Sasuke continues to stare at me, "You mean that you… but I hurt…"

I cut him off, "Sasuke, I… I have been down the same path that you have been… there is sometimes nothing but hurt, loss, pain and despair, sometimes because of your own doing… but… but you have to look at the small things that life gives you and... concentrate on making those small things bloom into something else."

I look at Sakura and gently caress her cheek.

_She is what helped me find myself again. Her love bloomed into the reason for my next breath._

Sasuke looks at the both of us and his Sharingan begins to bleed.

"Itachi wanted me to live my life without the blemish of the past… I just don't know how…"

Naruto places his hand on his other shoulder and I give him a squeeze on the shoulder that I still held, "Sasuke, you are not going to walk that path alone if you so choose. The hard part is taking the first step."

Sakura lets go of me and then raises her hands to his temples.

He stiffens immediately but both Naruto and I give him another squeeze on his shoulders.

She sees that he is staying still and then sends her healing chakra into his eyes and immediately stops the bleeding.

She finally speaks up, "Sasuke, look around you, we are finally all here together. We are Team 7 and we will never leave one of our teammates behind. I can't say that I can forget what you have done... but I can forgive you. I just ask that you seek help, from us, even from Tsunade-sama but seek it from someone that cares about you, not just because of your abilities or bloodline limits."

He nods and then says, "Hn."

_Somethings never change._

My pack approaches me and Pakkun is now sitting on Sakura's lap.

He begins to sniff me and says, "Boss, I knew something was different on you… Your scent is intertwined with Sakura's."

"Pakkun you must be getting old, of course I smell like her she has been by my side."

"No Boss, this scent is coming from you, it is as if you have a part of Sakura inside you."

I look at her and her eyes widen as if she has been caught.

"Sakura… what have you done." I say softly to her but with a questioning look in my eyes.

Naruto interrupts her before she can say anything, "Kaka-sensei, she used granny Chiyo's jutsu on you but teme here stopped her before she went and killed herself for you."

Sakura turns to Naruto and sends him a death glare.

I take her hand and ask, "Is it true love?"

She looks down and I pull her chin up so she can look me in the eye.

She nods her head and then says, "I also put a seal around your heart to keep it pumping for as long as I was alive. I… I can't live in a world where you are not here with me. I… I'm sorry for not telling you, but I am not sorry for doing it."

_This stubborn woman. This beautiful, precious stubborn woman. My woman._

She knew that I would never allow her to use her life force to save me.

_I must have Tsunade-sama check her out when we get back._

_I don't want to be the cause of cutting her lifespan short._

We see Kiba, Sai and Yamato on the other side of a crater.

_What did Sakura do while I was gone?_

I try to stand up but I need some help to steady myself. Amazingly Sasuke grabs my shoulder to offer me some support.

Naruto picks Sakura up because she has almost exhausted her chakra.

The shock of seeing Sasuke helping me actually silenced both Naruto and Sakura.

We get to the other side of the crater and I am greeted by my friends. The rain is letting up and the sky is clearing. Sasuke's entourage is still being held and Gaara's reinforcements arrive at the same time. Sasuke takes me to sit by a tree and then says to me, "Sensei, I will strive to earn the forgiveness that you have shown me. I see... no I felt what you meant to say and I can live with the dobe being Hokage one day. That is the Konoha that I can live in and give my support to. I guess this is goodbye for now but I will someday work my way up the ranks and earn your respect once again."

He bows his head slightly and walks away to turn himself, and his team, over to Gaara's patrol team.

I look at him and say to myself, "_I think you already have."_

Naruto brings Sakura over and helps her sit next to me.

She looks absolutely exhausted as she leans her head on my shoulder.

"Kashi, when we get back please be nice to Genma."  
"Huh? What did he do to deserve my wrath?" I smile as I breath in her scent from her hair.

"He took a fuma shuriken to the chest trying to block it from hitting me."

I open up my mouth but then when I can't find any words I close it again.

I take a deep breath and then sigh into her hair once more, "Sakura I might have to admit that he is my best friend now."

She chuckles lightly and says, "Oh, you might have some issues with Gai-san on that one. He might question the whole eternal rival relationship then."

I only smile because laughing would hurt too much.

As we lay there by the tree trunk we notice that Gaara is talking with Naruto about something to do with Sasuke and how we are going to get back home.

I stop listening because Sakura's breaths have slowed down and we are both drifting off to sleep.

Pakkun and the rest of the pack encircle us and he tells us to go ahead and sleep and they will keep watch for anything else.

_Ok I think they might get a bag of Inuzuka dog treats when we get back to camp. _

* * *

A/N: Sorry for a long notes section but I wanted to clarify some stuff that I am having a difficult time incorporating into the story so here it is, dive into my personal thoughts of what is going on.

Here are some problems that some of y'all might see in this chapter so I will address them now:

No Sasuke is not OOC, that is the effect of the white chakra. He might not agree with how Konoha was run in the past but he now finally realized how much Kakashi, and he, truly are the same in many ways. He is willing to see the change that Naruto will bring about because Kakashi strongly believes in him. Sasuke needs guidance, he has hung around Orochimaru and trying to kill his brother for so long that it has warped him. When Itachi confessed to him, he was more lost than before. In the manga Hagoromo believes in Sasuke and Naruto to bring about the end of the fighting, although both Naruto and Sasuke are very different, they are the reincarnations of his own sons, so I can see why he needs it to be play out the way that it is.

Back to my story:

Sakumo and Mitsuko Hatake do get to say goodbye to their son. I know that Sakumo was going to be at rest in the afterlife after the Pein attack but come on I couldn't resist. His mom finally getting to meet Kakashi! This was the perfect way for them to give Kakashi their blessing, since he was always asking for their guidance. This scene seemed appropriate since he was once again between life and death. Hatake Mitsuko is the one that passed on the lightning affinity to her son, hence, her scent of lightning. I thought about making her a distant Inuzuka relative that was born to a shinobi from lightning and a Inuzuka who left the clan to be with the lightning shinobi away from Konoha. This would explain Kakashi's sense of smell that rivals the Inuzuka's. I had seen this in a forum and I thought it was an interesting idea/hypothesis at the time. Not much is known of Kakashi's heritage. In my story he has very little records of his clan, so he is not aware of his heritage.

Ok another problem that some might find in this story:

Sakura doesn't die like Chiyo-sama because she is keeping Kakashi's heart pumping for as long as she is alive. She bonded their lives together with that seal, effectively being a sort of 'pacemaker' for him. Chiyo-sama died because Gaara was already dead and she gave her life for him. Sakura is giving her life essence to Kakashi to continue to keep him alive, not bring him back from the dead. I know that it might have seemed that way but I could never bring myself to kill my favorite character.

Alright that's it for today, Please review! Happy times await us back at camp.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 23

* * *

Sakura's POV

It has been a week since the day I almost lost my love, but thank Kami that Kakashi is finally back to normal.

He is sitting at the corner of the war room headquarters listening in to the Kage's final comments on the new peace treaties that will be put in effect.

I took his copy of _Icha Icha_ out of his pocket before the meeting; I really didn't think that reading that in front of the Kage's would be proper while signing peace treaties.

Naruto is by Tsunade-sama's side as she recently announced that she will step down in six months and Naruto will be named Hokage of Konohagakure. Many of the other Kage's seem to agree and we received a letter from the fire daimyo sending his support. The jonin vote will be held once we get back to Konoha but I am pretty sure that he will be voted in easily.

Shishou asked me to stay after the meeting to discuss some important information with Kakashi and me.

Once the Kage's step out, she pulls out a large scroll that looks rather old. She begins rolling it out a bit and then we both notice what it actually is.

It is the personal wedding registry of the Hokage.

Only shinobi weddings are recorded in this scroll.

She continues to roll it out until she stops at Kakashi's parents names.

His mother's signature is full flares in her letters. She must have been a very confident and spirited woman. His dad on the other hand, had extremely similar handwriting to Kakashi, precise and neat.

He seems to want to touch his parents names and has his hand hovering over both of them.

A commemorative picture was placed along the Hokage's official seal and the witnesses signatures, Uchiha Fugako, and Uchiha Mikoto. Wow, they looked so young. Sasuke's parents must have just started dating because I didn't see any wedding rings and Mikoto-san still wore a kimono for unwedded daughters.

Kakashi's mother was beautiful, her smile was so vibrant and her hair was cut short, similar to my length but spiky. Even though Fugaku-san smiled very slightly, Hatake Sakumo looked like he was the happiest man in the world. His smile rivaled Naruto's. There was no stress lines in his face, there was only love for his bride.

I looked up and saw Kakashi's silent tears slide down his face.

His fingers hovered over the picture of his mother.

I walked over to where he was and I gave him a hug while I leaned my head to his shoulder.

There were no words needed, I could feel his emotions, he had emitted his white chakra without realizing.

"Kakashi, your parents were very happy on their wedding day, I know that you and Sakura have been through a lot recently, and I just want you to know that I couldn't have been blessed with a better family than you both. Sakura is like a daughter to me and now… well you will be my son. I could never replace your own parents but I hope that I can stand in their place as the both of you take your vows of marriage. As your Hokage I can only pray that you two are happy with your new course in life, and even though our duty to our village comes first, I want you both to always guard each other's hearts and protect the new family that you will have in the future. Without that our village is nothing. Never forget who you are protecting."

Kakashi takes my hand and then we both bow deeply to her.

As we are about to leave the room, the doors burst open and Genma comes in carrying two very large boxes, followed by Shizune that has two smaller bags of her own. She sounds exasperated at Genma, but he only sighs and just follows her commands.

Kakashi quickly helps Genma with the boxes and takes them to a nearby desk. I see Shizune for the first time since she left to Konoha and I run up to her and hug her.

"Shizune! I am so happy for you and Genma! Congratulations!"

"Ah Sakura, thank you so much, I really had hoped that we could do this in Konoha, but I got the list that Kakashi gave to Genma and I had to rework half of what I was doing over there."

Shishou interrupts her, "Don't tell me that it is finally here! You two get out of here, Sakura and Shizune need to look over some stuff. Genma if this is what I think it is then you know what you need to start doing. Now get out or bring me some sake!"

Kakashi and Genma both looked at each other and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I turn around and then look at the two large boxes.

"Shishou what is this?"

"Oh Sakura, I can't wait for you to see this, we had to rush the job but I think you will be happy to see this."

Before Shizune could lift the lid off of the box Ino burst through the door.

"Forehead! Oh no you don't! You don't get to see that without your best friend here. Who do you think helped plan all of this?"

_I have a feeling I know what is inside the box now…_

Tsunade takes the lid away from Shizune and lifts it up to reveal the most beautiful wedding kimono I had ever seen.

"Ohhh…."

_I couldn't believe my eyes it was absolutely perfect._

Shizune carefully takes it out of the box and lays it on the table.

The entire fabric was of the purest white silk but there were white cherry blossoms embellished in a matte finish decorated along the length of the kimono. The obi was also of the same fabric but it had the Hatake clan red triangles along the edges. The obijime was a crimson red and the obiage was a soft pink with light silver edges.

I could not believe what I was seeing.

Our story was represented on those pieces of clothing.

The crimson obijime was the exact color of the Sharingan Kakashi once wielded, to symbolize the sacrifice that he gave for our future.

The obiage had the same shade of pink as my hair and the same silver color of Kakashi's hair, to symbolize that we would now think as one, as husband and wife.

His clan symbols were around the entire obi and my namesake flower was represented along the length.

I look down at my left hand and examine the cherry blossom engagement ring. It no longer held Kakashi's chakra that made it shine with a blue hue, but it was still quite exquisitely crafted. He put so much detail in a simple ring, that I was now left speechless with sight of the kimono before me. I wanted to look beautiful for him, I wanted his day to be as perfect as possible. This wasn't just about me, I wanted it to be perfect for him… he deserved perfection because his soul, his love, perfected my own.

I began to cry and could only go hug the three women standing before me.

"So Forehead, are you ready for tomorrow?"

I look at her with the unspoken question in my eyes and Shizune is the one that answers me, "Sakura this whole week we have all been planning behind the scenes. We were just waiting on the dress to come in."

I looked at my shishou and she nodded and gave me an endearing smile. She walked up to me and held both of my hands, "I sent Kakashi with Genma to get the rest of the things prepared. You will not see him until tomorrow, but I think that when he sees you it will be worth the wait. The Kage's have agreed to stay for three more days here so their troops, well your troops, can celebrate with you. You both bleed with them and you both saved most of them, in more ways than one, so this is our wedding present to you both. You will have your family there, your whole family there to celebrate with you."

"Thank you shishou, thank you for everything."

Ino starts looking through the other bags that Shizune brought and then is about to lift the lid of the the other box, but Shizune stops her by putting her hands on top of the lid.

"Oh no Ino-chan, Sakura can't see this one. This is Kakashi's wedding attire and Genma forgot to take it with him. Could you please take this to my tent, Genma and Kakashi should be there now."

Ino has a big grin on her face and then says, "Hai" and hurries out of the room with the box in tow.

Shizune carefully folds the kimono and places it back in the box.

Shishou picks up the box and instructs us to follow her back to her tent.

"Come now Sakura, we have much to do to get you ready for your wedding tomorrow."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We arrive outside of Genma and Shizune's tent. Genma quickly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into the tent.

"Kakashi are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? The Kages will sign the treaty tomorrow morning, why do I need to be ready for?"  
He smirks at me and then begins to laugh, "Don't tell me that the Famous Copy Ninja has not noticed all the going on around camp?"

"Well if the Kage's wouldn't require my presence in all of their meetings, I would be around camp more often. What is happening tomorrow?"

"Man, we set up everything, you and Sakura will be getting married tomorrow!"

I raise my eyebrows in surprise but quickly recover. "Wait-what? Please tell me it won't be a big affair."

"Naw, Hokage-sama arranged everything, your family will be the only ones present."

I slump on the chair near the desk.

I look up to see Genma with a grin on his face, "I have to tell Sakura!"

"Nope, you are staying here with me and the guys tonight. Sakura is going to be with Hokage-sama and her friends doing girl things and getting her ready for the wedding."

"Well did you do what I asked you to do in the note then, will the wedding be where I told you?"

"Yes, Kakashi… Sai and Yamato have been there all morning getting everything set up for tomorrow."

"Hey Genma, I need to ask you a favor."

"Look Kakashi I love Sakura and all, but taking a fuma shuriken to the chest is not something that I want to repeat." He is chuckling and his tone is filled with humor.

"I already told you that I would be eternally grateful for saving her… I would like for...you… to be…"

"Spit it out Hatake!"

I sigh and say, "Will you be my best man?"

He grins and then says, "I'd be honored man, but best friend or not, I will kill you if you hurt Sakura."

_He will never let me live it down. Tell a guy that he is your best friend and it goes to his head, he makes it seem like I had just named him Hokage._

"So, Genma what are we going to do tonight?"

"We are going to get shit faced drunk!"

"Oh no you are not, I will not have Forehead's wedding be ruined because the groom was passed out somewhere and was late for his own wedding!"

We turn around to see the furious Yamanaka Ino step into the tent with one of the boxes that Genma had carried to the war room.

She shoves the box in Genma's direction, not bothering to see if he caught it and walks right up to me pushing her index finger in my chest, "Look here Kakashi-senpai, I will have no-nonsense from any of you guys, you will be there on time, dressed appropriately and everything will be perfect. I might not have Sakura's strength but my fury rivals her, so don't mess this up!"

We see a couple of the guys come into the tent at that time, Shikamaru raises an eyebrow and says, "So troublesome…"

Ino goes up to her teammate and gives him a deadly glare, "Shika, I will hold you personally responsible if Kakashi-sensei is not there on time. Don't ruin this for Sakura!"

With that she stormed out of tent.

Kiba slaps shikamaru across the back and says, "Shikamaru is on babysitting duty! Well Kakashi-senpai what do you want to do, now?" All of the guys were there, Naruto, Sai, Yamato, Shino, Neji, Lee, Gai, Kankuro and even Gaara-sama was there. We were a strange bunch of personalities all in one small tent, this could go downhill very quickly.

He pulls out four sake bottles from his pack and Genma heads to go grab some cups.

"Alright but no fights! Hokage-sama might kill each one of us if we show up to the wedding with injuries."

With that we sat around the table and drank sake and attempted to play poker but we were all so good at bluffing that it became rather pointless.

I didn't even look at the box with what Genma called 'my wedding attire'. I could care less what I wore, as long as Sakura was there saying 'I do', my life would be perfect.

Shikamaru got up and told everyone that we should all go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow. The guys had left a couple of small boxes or cloth wrapped items on the table before they left. None of them waited for me to open up their gifts. Everyone left the tent and it was only me and Genma cleaning up the sake cups.

* * *

Sakura's POV

We got to my shishou's tent and while I was putting up my pack I heard my friends enter the tent.

"Good evening Hokage-sama." They said and bowed to her.

Shishou just told them that tonight they could forego all the formalities because tonight she was just the mother of the bride and wanted to prepare me for the wedding.

Hinata brought a basket filled with lotions, oils and perfumed water. She said that she had them sent from the private stores of the Hyuga family. She said that since we were not able to properly have a spa day in Konoha prior to my wedding, this would serve as her personal gift to me. I hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "Thank you Hinata, you are a great friend."

Tenten gave me a wooden box wrapped in red silk. She said that a bride needs to look like a killer beauty and for that she needs to have proper weapons. I opened up the box and saw the most beautiful set of kunai and shuriken. They looked polished and had a mirror finish. Some might put them on display for their beauty but knowing Tenten, they were sharp enough to slice armor. I doubt that I would need them when I would only be surrounded by my friends, but being a shinobi one can never be too careful. She gave me a silk pouch to strap to my thigh and another to hide in my obi.

Tamari gave me a set of ceremonial fans for my wedding kimono. They had a secret compartment that launched poisoned senbon from between the ribs of the fan. I was awed at how beautiful and deadly they were. The cloth that covered the fans was made of the finest silk and had a pattern of red cherry blossoms on one and a white wolf in a field on the other. They were so beautiful.

Shizune told me that while we waited for Ino to come back from her tent and bring back some food we could all take a bath. The Hokage's tent was roomy and because we were only going to stay in camp a couple more days, Tsunade-sama said that we needed a relaxing day in a hot spring. There were no hot springs anywhere nearby so she got down on one knee and flicked her finger on the floor. A large crater formed before us before she filled it with a simple water jutsu. She made the seals for a small katon jutsu and heated the water in no time.

_Wow, the perks of being Hokage, makeshift private hot spring in her own tent._

We were all excited, I don't think any of us had had a hot springs bath in over three years. The only luxury that we had was a base camp that provided showers with hot water. We all got into the 'spring' and started to relax.

Tsunade and Shizune said that they would take a bath later and would leave some room for Ino once she got back.

When Ino came back in she dropped off the food tray on the table and then joined us in our make shift spring.

Some of Hinata's oils were added to the water and we immediately began to feel relaxed. Tsunade-sama placed her hands inside the water and her healing chakra flowed into the water and helped heal any sore muscles we all had.

_This is heaven…._

Shizune brought a wash basin and a familiar bottle of shampoo with her and told me to lean back so she could wash my hair. I can't believe that she found the same brand of shampoo that I use in Konoha. She looked at me and said, "Sakura, Genma and I don't have much now, but I would be honored if I was the one to fix your hair and make-up for tomorrow. I looked up at her and I said, "Yes nee-chan." She looked so happy with those words.

Ino came over to where Shizune was washing my hair and said, "So Forehead are you ready for the wedding night?"

I closed my eyes and started blushing… I heard giggles all around me.

"Come on Forehead, don't tell me that you and Kakashi-senpai haven't you know… gotten down and dirty yet…"

"Look pig, we… haven't… and it's because I… I mean… he doesn't… I mean we don't want…" Oh Kami this was so embarrassing, "Ok… Kakashi doesn't want for my first time to be in some war camp tent surrounded by listening, nosy shinobi, like you." She smirked at me and then began giggling.

"Awww that is so sweet and chivalrous of him." Hinata blushed but smiled at me.

Tamari also smiled and said, "Well he must have some willpower not to take you while you were in that tent together, Shika-kun has to wait-" She covered her mouth with her hands as Ino stared at her.

"Tamari-chan! How is it that I don't know about this! There is no juicy gossip in this camp and somehow you managed to keep this from me! Tell me if Shikamaru does anything wrong, I will not tolerate a teammate that cannot take care of his girlfriend." Ino was highly animated waving her hands around to emphasize her point.

Tamari actually blushed but told us not to let Gaara know just yet, they had secretly been dating for the last four years but there was never a good time to tell her brothers about their relationship.

Ino could not believe that this had been kept from her for four years!

She almost yelled, "Some T&I agent I will turn out to be!"

We all laughed and began eating some of the food that Ino had brought.

Tsunade-sama confiscated all the sake and said that it would not be proper of a bride to drink before her wedding.  
Inner yelled in my head, "_Yeah right she just wants it all to herself, Cha!"_

Ino got out of the bath and then headed over to where she had placed a small satchel and brought it over to where I was.

"Sakura, you are my best friend and I want you to be happy. She gave me a scroll but told me not to release it until tomorrow, it held some flowers from their flower shop in Konoha to serve as my bouquet. I hugged her tightly and told her that I would be forever grateful that the flowers for my bouquet came from my best friend. She was starting to get teary eyed so she gave me the satchel and told me that I was to wear that on my wedding night.

"Kakashi-senpai will owe me a huge favor once he sees you in that!"

I am afraid to open up the satchel but I do, and as soon as I see what is inside I turn the same shade of pink of my hair.

"Ino-pig! There is no way that I could ever wear that!"

"Trust me you put that thing on and you will have effectively conquered the almighty Copy Ninja!"

Tsunade-sama saves me from further embarrassment and takes the satchel and puts it by the box where my kimono is. She is slightly drunk and says, "Ok, Sakura come here, I need to give you something. I come out of the water and wrap myself in a towel. I go to where she is standing and she hands me a beautifully crafted hair comb made of jade that is embellished with red rubies in the shape of cherry blossom petals. It was exquisite.

I take it in my hands and give my shishou, my mother a hug. "Thank you okaasan!"

She hugs me tighter and I feel her start to cry on my shoulder, "Oh Sakura, I love you and I want you to be happy."

Tonight was absolutely perfect. Shizune starts helping everyone get their things so that I can get a proper night's rest for tomorrow's big day.

They all leave after giving me another round of hugs and I start settling down in the futon that was already set up for me.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

When we finished cleaning I told Genma that I was going to go to T&I and see Sasuke for a bit.

When I got there I was surprised to see Gaara-sama already there talking with him.

He noticed my presence but continued to talk with Sasuke.

Sasuke had been kept in the T&I tents, but he was not under arrest, at least no charges were being pressed on him so far. Morino Ibiki had questioned him and his motives and Ino-chan had confirmed all of Sasuke's stories. Ibiki had previously asked me to infuse some of my white chakra to Sasuke's teammates but they all refused, they said that they were loyal to Sasuke and would follow whatever path he decided to take.

_So much for following orders blindly… They have so much to learn…_

Gaara-sama then looked up and said to both Sasuke and me, "We have conducted the same questioning that the ninjas that were under Tsukuyomi went through. We have decided that we will allow you to return to Konohagakure with some stipulations. The council here has decided your fate and during war times it holds more power than the elder council of Konoha since all the Kage's agree with the decision and stipulations for recently converted ninjas have been drawn and drafted into the treaties. The clan heirs have also lent their support to you, Uchiha Sasuke, on the condition that you wear chakra suppressors until Naruto becomes Hokage in six months. You will then need to pass all the ranking exams with your fellow shinobi of Konoha, but will be under the watchful eye of your sponsor until one years time. During that time you are to seek psychological counseling and try to integrate yourself into society once more. You can understand why some people might be wary of your return to Konoha, but if we can give enemy nin a second chance, then we can allow you this. You killed Orochimaru and that alone played an integral part in the council allowing your return. Please do not waste this opportunity. You might want to start rebuilding the Uchiha compound before you start to rebuild your clan. Your Sharingan is the only one left in Konoha and your choice is simple, be a weapon of death and follow orders blindly or make a choice to build a better Konoha along your teammates."

He nods at him and then says, "I will choose to build something better."

He looks at me and then says, "Sensei, if you would have me… I would rather continue my studies under you. I can only trust you and dobe, but you have lived through some of the same hardships that I have and I feel that no one else would understand."

I nod at him and then sit next to him.

"Sasuke this wont be easy… but I will help you in any way I can. Eh… Tomorrow Sakura and I will be getting married… um… do you want to go?"

He sits there thinking long and hard and suddenly looks down, "I missed a lot while I was gone, ne? When did you and… Sakura...?"

"Look Sasuke she was hurt when you left, then Naruto left to train for two years, she was alone and suffered a lot of losses. She is an incredible shinobi, and is renown around all the Shinobi Nations. The war started and then her parents were killed. We gravitated to each other and we fell in love."

"Hn."

"I'll make sure that they let you go to the wedding if you so wish."

"I… I think it will be good to see you take that step so I know that I can close that chapter of my life. I lost her forever, but it seems that she might never had been mine to begin with. She was never destined for me. I can only hope that she will once again see me as her teammate and possibly her friend. I see how she is around everyone else and I can't help but feel jealous of that."

"Give her time Sasuke, she needs… all of them… need time to adjust."

"Hn."

I place my hand on his shoulder and tell him that I must be going.

He nods and then says, "Thank you sensei."

I nod back and head back to Genma's tent.

* * *

A/N: Longest chapter so far! Thank you for all the reviews so far! I know that there is a lot of preparation before a wedding so I wanted both Kakashi and Sakura to have some time with their friends before the big day. It's funny how the girls all gave Sakura their gifts right away and the guys just left them on the table as they were leaving.

Sasuke is kinda torn right now, I think he always expected things with Sakura to stay the same so that is why he was shocked to see her move on, and with Kakashi of all people. Since he got a first hand experience of how Kakashi really feels he knows, and sees, how much Sakura and Kakashi love each other.

Sasuke is still emotionally stunted because of all the hate he carried for so long. Just because he can start to 'rebuild' his clan, doesn't mean that he is mentally or emotionally prepared for it just now.

He can see that Sakura moved on, and he just wants to be a part of her, even if it is just a teammate and friend. I do believe that Sasuke and Sakura were not meant or destined to be with each other, they were young and had other things on their mind.

Now that Sakura matured and saw the pain that Naruto and Kakashi had to live through by not having parents she realized that her infatuation with Sasuke at age twelve was just that, an infatuation and not real love. She didn't understand him because A.) he never let her, or anyone, get close and B.) He was too busy seeking vengeance to want the company and commitment that a friendship entails.

Sakura and Kakashi had to go through a lot of things to find themselves together so that strengthened the relationship before they were ever romantically involved. They can truly say that they love each other completely because they had seen each other, and been there for each other, in the good and the bad.

Please review!


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 24

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I wake up at my usual time of 4:00 am and scribble a note telling Genma that I will be by the lake this morning and be back before I have to go to the Kage's meeting for the last signing of the treaties.

_I don't want him to send a search party, or even worse tell Shikamaru, who would probably send an ANBU team to find me or else face Ino-chan's wrath._

As I reach the nearby lake, I am able to do my regular warm up in peaceful silence.

I take out my tanto and do some defensive and offensive katas. I start sending a small amount of white chakra that just illuminates about a 3 foot radius around me and helps concentrate and keep me calm.

I finish my katas and I sit along the edge of the lake to sit and think about how my life will be changing in just a couple of hours.

_Today is the day that Sakura will become my wife._

I am a bit anxious because I want this day to be perfect for her.

When this is all over we will be finally going home.

_Home… Where are we going to live?_

I don't want to start our family while living in either her or my apartment.

_I wonder if she will be interested in helping me rebuild the old Hatake estate._

I haven't been back there since my dad died, but after being able to talk with both of my parents it finally feels right to go back to my old family home.

We will have a lot of work to do when we get back to Konoha.

I will need help fixing up the house… _maybe I can call in a few favors that certain people owe me._

The sunrise looks so beautiful and it reminds me of how it looked reflected on Sakura's eyes the day that I was finally able to see her without my Sharingan.

_The gardens will need to be fixed. We will need some room for the dogs and kids to play around._

_Kids… yeah… that sounds great… I'm gonna have to do something about my missions though, I will not leave our children without a father, Kami knows how much I still need mine._

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn coming from behind me.

"Kaka-sensei, Genma told me you would be here. I wanted to talk with you about something."

I nod in his direction and he takes a seat right next to me. He hands me a cup of instant ramen to serve as my breakfast. I take it knowing full well that he was doing this as a sign of appreciation.

"Tell me Naruto, what on Earth possessed you to wake up this early in the morning to come and sit with your former sensei?"

"Eh, I wanted to ask something of you, well… What I mean is that you and Sakura are very important to me, and baa-chan was telling me that the seal that Sakura placed on your heart is kinda complicated and near impossible to undo."

This caught my attention, Tsunade had not told me anything about it yet, she started researching it when we got back a week ago.

I raise my eyebrow to allow him to continue.

"Well Kaka-sensei, she told me something, but I don't want you to freak out or get mad at Sakura-chan because when you think about it, you would have done the same for her."

I was starting to get worried about what he was about to say. A thousand different scenarios flashed through my head. I would give up anything, my life even, as long as she was safe I would do everything in my power to protect her so, his words were not helping my anxiety.

"Kaka-sensei, as my first act as Hokage… I want you to retire."

"What? What does this have to do with Sakura? How will I protect her if I have to retire?"

"Look, Baa-chan told me that Sakura-chan bound her heart to you. If you die, she dies. If she dies, you die. She worked the seal to keep your heart pumping for as long as she lived. You must retire and avoid dangerous situations for both of your sakes. Kami, it's not like I told you that I wanted you to retire because you are old or something!"

_Sakura what have you done?_

"Baa-chan told me that being Hokage will be hard and I will have to make tough decisions, so my first hard decision is for you to retire. You are one of the best shinobi we have in Konoha so taking you off field assignments will be difficult, _and costly,_ but I cannot afford to lose the both of you at the same time. I will name you my advisor and you will oversee the training and rehabilitation of teme. That means that you will be in Konoha and only leave to go on special missions with my express consent. Sakura-chan will be head of the Hospital and oversee the training of new medics in a school that Shizune is going to start with baa-chan's help."

I was just absorbing all that he was telling me and kept my face as stoic as possible.

"Baa-chan is going to be taking care of Shizune and Genma's baby and she expects for you and Sakura-chan to have babies too. Why do you think that she herself is retiring?"

"And after Sasuke is rehabilitated? Then what, I'm just supposed to be your assistant?"

"No… I was thinking about making you head of the ANBU training and possibly helping Ino and Ibiki-san out in T&I with that white chakra of yours. You have to admit, everyone thinks that it is pretty amazing, believe it!"

I chuckle lightly and I tell him, "Ok Naruto-_sama_, I will accept your orders as the loyal Shinobi of the Leaf that I am."

He laughs a little and then looks on towards the sunrise.

I look at him and he reminds me so much of Minato-sensei.

"Naruto?"  
"Yeah?"

"Would you and Hinata like to be our witnesses and sign the wedding registry with us after the ceremony?"

"Really? But Hinata and I… Well we aren't even dating yet?"

"Well you have a couple of hours to rectify it, ne?"

He grins widely and then shouts, "Believe it!"

With that he runs back to camp probably to go find a certain Hyuga heiress. I don't think that Hiashi-san will complain of their relationship now that he will be Hokage.

I sit there looking towards the sunrise and thinking about the new possibilities that I now have ahead of me.

* * *

Sakura's POV

Shishou wakes up and starts to grumble of needing some sake or something.

"Shishou… Shishou… Okaa-san!"

With a start she wakes up and looks at me.

"Sakura today is your wedding!"

"Yes, but first you need to go get ready to sign those treaties."

She groans but then dutifully gets up and get ready.

She turns around and looks at me, "You will not leave this tent, if you need something or someone ask the ANBU outside to go and get them. Kakashi is under no circumstances to see you until this afternoon!"

"Yes, yes… I know. Now go before you are late for your meeting. Oh and don't forget to tell Naruto about what we talked about last night!"

Once she leaves I peek my head out the tent and ask the ANBU to find Sai, Yamato and Kiba for me. He nods and then disappears only to be replaced by another ANBU guard at the entrance of the tent.

I start getting breakfast ready with the leftovers from last night and my boys suddenly appear.

"Hey guys, good morning! Do you want any breakfast?"

They nod and then dive into the plates of food I prepared.

Kiba wolfed his down and was getting another plate to share with Akamaru but said to me, "Sakura, what's up?"

"Well guys, you are the only guys that I can call my brothers so... since my dad isn't here to give me away I would like for you guys and Naruto to walk me down the aisle."  
They stopped eating and just looked at me.

Yamato-taichou recovered first and he bowed to me and said that it would be his honor to be able to be one of the ones to give me away.

Sai, bowed as well and he said, "Sakura, thank you for teaching me what it is like to feel loved. I am glad that I am not a replacement in your eyes."  
"Oh Sai, don't say things like that! You are my brother and I will always be there for you."

Kiba goes up to me and swings me around as he hugs me, "Sakura, thank you for giving me this honor. I will be able to tell Kakashi-senpai that if he doesn't take care of you he will have to answer to all of us, because WE were the ones trusting him with you. Ha!"

We finish eating breakfast and they start getting their things so they can leave because they have to take some things to the ceremony site. None of them will tell me where it will be and my curiosity is getting to me. Kakashi must have had a hand in this, because when we had made our list we were just going to have it here at camp.

Just as I was going to walk out of the tent to find someone with more information, Shizune walks in with a basket full of makeup and accessories.

"Sakura! Time to start the beauty process!"

"Shizune, it is hours before the wedding, there is no need to start this early!"

"That's what you think! You can't rush perfection, plus, we have to get on the road in a couple of hours. The ceremony site is a little ways from here so we will leave just after lunch. That will give us a couple of hours to get you into your kimono and have Sai draw some sketches."  
"What? Sai was just here and he didn't say anything."  
She smiles and says, "Think of it as his wedding present."

I smile at her and she drags me towards the chair so she can put some creams on my face that will supposedly help me relax.

Tsunade-sama walks in about an hour later and starts sealing all of our wedding essentials in some scrolls. She walks out and hands them to her guard so that they can transport them to the brides dressing tent at the ceremony site.

As Shizune rubs a different concoction on my skin, shishou sits next to me and begins to tell me that she figured out what I had done with Kakashi's seal and she is a little upset but she understands my motives. She sighs and says that she might have done the same for Dan so she can't really reprimand me for it.

She informed me of Naruto's first decision as Hokage and Kakashi's new position once we get back to Konoha.

_I nod at the realization that I had effectively cut both Kakashi's and my field careers._

_I felt a huge knot form in my stomach because of the guilt I felt and I begin to tense._

She sees the conflict in my eyes and says, "Well, now that you have done that and have left almost no room for removal, you don't have another choice but take over the hospital and help me and Shizune teach at the new medic school we are planning on building."

_My eyes widen at her words. Yes, we might have to stop field assignments but we still have very important jobs to do for Konoha._

Shishou then winks at me and says, "Well you can always have some babies so that I can enjoy my retirement and be a full-time grandmother!"

_Kids…. yeah... that sounds great. We will have to get a bigger home. Maybe Kakashi might want to rebuild the Hatake estate? I am going to want a big garden for the dogs and kids to play in._

"Sakura? Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, kids... lots of them... right…"

My thoughts are going through all the new possibilities that we will have awaiting our return to Konoha.

_I can't wait to tell Kakashi._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Naruto and I left the last Kage meeting and had a copy of the treaty in our hands to send to Konoha's records room.

He was so excited when Tsunade-sama had told him that Sakura wanted her brother's to give her away.

He stopped in his tracks when he looked ahead and saw Hinata walk out of her tent with a small bag in hand getting ready to leave towards the ceremony site. He looked at me and I only raised my eyebrow and gave him a little push in her direction. As he turned to leave I caught the slight blush that he had when he looked at Hinata.

_Minato-sensei, your boy will be just fine. Hinata-chan is a good person with a kind heart. She will take care of him._

I walk back to Genma's tent to start getting my things ready so I can leave.

Genma told me that Tsunade had banned me from seeing Sakura until the ceremony, so I had nothing else to do but pack.

He was getting all the things sealed in scrolls and had just left my unopened presents on the table.

"Hey man, do you want to open those up now?"

"I guess I don't have a choice."

I sit on the table and he pulls out the other chair to sit next to me.

I pick up the first cloth wrapped item, it was a set of senbon.

I looked up at Genma and he just shrugged, "It's not like I got to go on a shopping spree while I had fuma shuriken impaling me."

I got a new set of double-edged kunais, some more shurikens of varying sizes, a huge bag of Inuzuka dog treats, some poisons from Suna, a bag of sand, a collection of _Icha Icha_ women's lingerie (_in Sakura's size_), a set of nunchaku, some arm bracers, a set of twin long katana's and what looked to be a set of Asuma's knuckle knives with a note from Shikamaru saying that he has plenty of sets of his late sensei's weapons so I shouldn't worry and just accept 'the damn troublesome gift'.

I was really touched that they all went through the trouble of getting me something.

I began to wonder who was the one that brought the _Icha Icha_ lingerie, they must value their life too much to ever admit it.

I put my new weapons in a bag to take with me to the ceremony, the bigger or impractical weapons were sealed in some scrolls.

The _Icha Icha_ lingerie was put in a separate bag that carried the rest of my clothes that I would be taking with me and Sakura after the ceremony.

I know I won't need any of these weapons, but it would be nice for them to see that I carried them on my person.

I would have to ask Gaara about what to do with the sand though, I was kinda at a loss on that one.

The bag of dog treats was also placed in a sealing scroll so I could treat the pack later.

Genma and I finish packing and we begin to head out of the tent when two ANBU guards stop us and they hand me a scroll a wooden box.

I open the scroll and read the message, "Sensei, I would like for you to keep this for me, I know that it isn't much of a wedding present but it's all that I have left. I hope that one day you will feel that I am ready and allow me to spar with you to earn it back."

He didn't need to sign it and I knew that in that wooden box I would see Sasuke's sword.

* * *

A/N: Everyone is getting ready for the wedding ceremony! I just love how he reacts to Gaara's gift, I could just picture a bewildered look of "WTF is this for." I think Shikamaru's gift is something that Kakashi will treasure because now, in a way Asuma, will be present at his wedding as well. But Sasuke's gift says a lot of where he now wants his life to go. By giving up his sword he is accepting Kakashi as his sensei and is willing to earn his respect instead of being the proud Uchiha that he was and demanding respect before even earning it. First step is admitting that you were wrong, so this is a big step for Sasuke. Please review!


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 25

* * *

Sakura's POV

With all the things ready we start to head out towards the ceremony site. We leapt up into the tree lines and I started to follow my friends. We got to a very familiar clearing and then I see our field come into view.

I stop suddenly right before entering the field and I take in the scene before me.

I believe that Yamato-taichou had built a platform around the tree that Kakashi first confessed his love to me… the tree where he proposed to me… our tree… our field.

Ino looked back and saw that I had stopped in my tracks and she jogged back to me.

"Forehead is there something wrong?"  
"No Ino, I'm just touched that he managed to get everyone to have the ceremony here."  
She raised a questioning eyebrow and then I said, "This is our field. He proposed to me here. This is where he confessed his love to me and this is where he first kissed me."

Ino's jaw gaped open and she was at a complete loss for words. When she managed to form some words she said, "No wonder he was so set on having it in this particular field."

My heart swelled at the thought of having Kakashi plan some of this himself to add a personal touch. It was clear that many didn't know the reason why he wanted this particular spot.

Ino takes my hand and gives it a squeeze, "You know Sakura, I really am happy for you and Kakashi-senpai. You both deserve happiness."

We start heading towards the designated bride's tent and before I go in, I see a flash of silver spiky hair flash from the tree lines and I know that he is finally here.

Shizune peeks her head out of the tent and when she sees where I am looking towards, she grabs my shoulders and pulls me into the tent, "You'll see him soon enough, now let's get you dressed up."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

As soon as we cleared the treeline, I could feel Sakura flare her chakra and I know exactly where to look.

_I see her pink hair. _

I know that since Tsunade-sama wont let me near her until the actual ceremony, this is her way of letting me know that she misses me.

Genma and the rest of the guys finally catch up and he says, "Kakashi, I have known you for many years and I have never seen you actually want to arrive earlier than usual to any ceremonial occasion."

"Come on Genma this is my wedding that we are talking about, it isn't just any ceremonial occasion, give me some credit. I'm always on time when it counts."

"Yeah, yeah, now let's go and get you ready so you can finally see Sakura and we can all get drunk afterwards."

Once we get to my tent we unseal all of our scrolls and start to get ready.

My kimono is the traditional black but the Hatake clan red triangles are sewn into the sleeves and along the back. I kept my mask on and began placing the various weapons in some strategic spots along the kimono. I kept the twin long katanas that Neji gave me in the scroll, but I placed Sasuke's sword along my back and I kept my father's tanto on the front to my side.

Genma looks at me and then starts to chuckle, "You know Kakashi, you look like you are preparing for battle instead of you wedding." I just shake my head and continue to get ready.

My hair is a mess but I can't do anything about it, that's just how it has always been and probably ever will be.

Genma and I head towards the ceremonial platform and we take our place, waiting for my bride.

The only people who will be there for the actual ceremony are our close friends. They stand around the ceremonial platform and begin to settle down.

Gaara-sama is next to Kankuro and Tamari.

Right behind them is Shikamaru, Choji and Ino.

Gai is standing right behind me across the aisle from Tamari.

His group stands next to him. Lee already has tears in his eyes and Gai looks like he might start crying, or worse… break into song.

Neji and Tenten almost facepalm at the sight of their former sensei and teammate.

Hinata, Shino and Kurenai stand right behind them.

Right behind Kurenai, Sasuke is flanked by two ANBU guards.

He hasn't received complete clearance from the Hokage to go about as he wishes in the camp, but he didn't seem to fight the conditions of constantly being guarded.

He had been away from Konoha for so long that I think that the ANBU was to put everyone else more at ease than anything else.

_I don't think anyone other than Team 7 would ever understand our inner dynamics, or understand why we forgave him after he almost effectively killed me a little over a week ago._

Shizune begins to walk up the aisle and when she reaches the table in front of us she begins to place the three ceremonial sake cups. Just then, Genma brought the sake from the bag he had been carrying and put it on the table in front of us.

Once he finished, I notice that everyone quieted down and Tsunade-sama walks down the aisle towards us. As she passes by, everyone bows to her.

Then I see Naruto and Yamato walk up the aisle shoulder to shoulder.

I can't see Sakura yet, but I see flashes of pink and white as she is effectively being covered by the height of her brothers.

Kiba and Sai stand right behind her.

They form a protective barrier between her and everyone else.

It's as if no one will be able to see her until she comes up to the platform.

_My heart is beating faster and I can feel my white chakra start to form at my center._

It is a feeling that I can't describe… but I feel a sort of peace knowing that she is here and we will finally be husband and wife in just a few minutes.

Before they come up to the platform, they stop right by Kurenai and Naruto leans back to listen to whatever Sakura just said.

His eyes widen by a fraction and he begins to smile.

He suddenly grabs Sasuke by the collar and places him in the spot that he was just standing in, effectively covering Sakura before I could see her.

Naruto tells the ANBU to stand down.

Sasuke's eyes widen and is about to say something when I see that someone is pulling on his sleeve and he leans a little so he could hear whatever Sakura was saying to him.

Once she is done he nods slightly and then looks on ahead, but with a different look in his eyes, something close to acceptance.

Naruto is now at the front of the group and is the first one to walk up the platform.

He looks at me and then bows to Tsunade-sama, she returns his gesture with a slight nod.

"Kaka-sensei, we are entrusting you with our little sister, Sakura is loved by all the people present here and we want you to love and protect her like you have done so far. Make her happy."

He then gives me a slight hug and then whispers, "I can't say that I can kill you now that you have that seal on you, but if you hurt her you will have to answer to all of us."

I nod at him and look intently towards the small group of guys that are covering the sight of my bride.

They start to walk up on the platform and then Yamato and Sasuke bow to Tsunade-sama and then step to the side.

_It is as if I was seeing her for the first time._

Her elegance was unmatched and she had an ethereal look about her.

Her face was looking down so that I could appreciate what she was wearing first.

Her kimono was the purest white but had a pattern of cherry blossoms along the length, it was breathtaking.

_That was just about the only thing traditional about what she wore._

The colors that she wore popped out and I immediately was able to tell our story through them. The obi had the Hatake clan symbols along the edge.

It felt right seeing her with my clan's symbol on her clothing.

The obiage peeked out of the obi and I caught shades of pink and silver, the exact shade of our unique hair color.

The obijime was the same color of the Sharingan that I once had.

I had asked Shizune not to get her a hooded headdress or the ceremonial horns that the brides wear underneath the headdress.

I would never give Sakura a reason to feel jealous, and I would never expect my wife to be obedient to me.

She was independent and fiery and I would never want to tame her wild spirit, she is perfect the way she is now.

_She is my equal, my support, and everything that is right in my life._

With that I brought my hand to her chin and lifted her face ever so gently.

Her eyes trailed up to finally meet my own and I was lost in a sea of green.

_I melted into those eyes and I would not be able to ever stop thanking Kami for giving me this precious gift._

She wore very little makeup because she didn't need it. Her lips wore a slight gloss that gave her perfect pink shade a shine that made them look delicious.

Genma actually had to put a hand on my shoulder so that I could face the Hokage. Tsunade-sama had seemed to say something, but I wasn't really paying attention because I was captivated by the angel beside me.

I take her hands and release the breath that I had held and whisper, "I am honored that you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with me and I swear that I will make you feel cherished everyday of your life."

Her eyes mist over and she gives me a beautiful smile.

I then do something that I never thought that I would do in public… I pull down my mask and smile in her direction.

_There are no masks when I am around with her, she is marrying me, just plain Hatake Kakashi, not 'Kakashi, Shinobi of the Leaf'._

The only thing that we hear are a couple of gasps in the crowd, someone actually falling to the ground and a "_pay up dobe_" but we both pay them no attention.

We both turn to the Hokage and after she regains her senses, stops gaping at me, and blinks a couple of times in my direction, she begins the ceremony.

The sake is poured and we complete San San Ku Do ceremony.

After we give our offerings to Kami we turn to each other and I pull out the scroll that holds my father's wedding band.

I release the scroll and she takes the wedding band into her hands.

I take her hand that already holds the wedding band that I had given her and I tell her, "Sakura, I promise to protect you and your heart for the rest of my life. I will give you my all and I will make sure that if we are blessed with children, I will provide for our family. My heart and my life are yours for all eternity, in this life and in the next."

I close my eyes and I breathe some of my white chakra into her ring and it begins to shine with a white light that is emanating from it. The emotions that I feel right now will always be emanating from her ring, and when she is not near me she will be able to feel my love for her just by touching her ring.

She smiles again but I see a tear escape from her left eye. Her hand goes up to my cheek and brushes away the tear that formed on my left eye as well.

_This seal is binding us in more ways that we could imagine._

She takes the larger wedding band in her hand and infuses some of her chakra into it and it glows green.

She holds up my hand and places the ring on my ring finger and says, "Kakashi, you and I will always be bound by the love that we share, I promise to love you and support you in any way that I can. We will raise our family and pass on all the lessons that our parents passed to us. You have my love, my heart, my soul for all eternity."

Tsunade then says to us, "Hatake, you know what to do."

She stands back a bit and motions for other to do the same.

I take Sakura's hand and I tell her to get ready, "Love, give me your hand and place it on my heart." She does what I ask her to and I place my hand over hers. I then smile at her and lean our bodies so that our rings touch as our chests collide together when I seal our marriage with a kiss.

The white chakra that had grown while I waited for my bride erupted and effectively enveloped both of our hearts and then shrouded us in white chakra.

As Sakura deepened the kiss, the white chakra got brighter and was almost blinding to anyone that hadn't closed their eyes. I flexed my chakra as I felt for Sakura's and when she infused her green chakra into my white, it wrapped itself around everyone that was present and sent out a soothing, gentle aura into the surrounding fields.

As we break the kiss, the shining light dimmed around us and then Tsunade-sama said in a booming voice to everyone, "I present to you, Hatake Kakashi and his bride Hatake Sakura, new clan heads of the Hatake Clan of Konohagakure."

Our friends erupted into cheers and then we felt the chakras of the shinobi from the Allied Shinobi Forces flare in response to the white chakra that had just passed through the field around us, followed by their cheers as well.

* * *

Sakura's POV

There is absolutely no words to express what I felt when our chakras met and our rings touched over our hearts. The only thing I could remotely describe it was a feeling of pure bliss. His kiss was soft and full of emotion.

_Kami- I love this man so much._

Tsunade announce us as husband and wife and I could feel exactly what Kakashi felt when she said 'Hatake Sakura' my husband was proud, he was happy, he was filled with peace in his heart.

When we turn to see our friends, Kakashi is smiling at me and then out of the corner of my eye I see most of the girls blush, or nearly faint at the sight of his uncovered face, some of the guys won't ever admit it but I caught a couple with their mouths gaping open. I kiss him again but then I pull his mask back into place. His eyebrow rises a bit but I whisper, "Love, you are distracting most of the shinobi population. I know that he is smirking underneath the mask and he just chuckles and says, "Just tell them that they were under a high level genjutsu that lifted after we were pronounced man and wife."

"Very funny." I whisper, "I think that the Hyuga's and Sasuke had activated their kekkei genkai, so it might be hard to get them to forget."

"Ah don't worry about it… I just didn't want any barriers between us when we got married."

"You are right, I'm marrying the man not the mask, so good job husband of mine, you are gaining some points for that. I might have to reward you later on."

He had a playful gleam in his eye.

Genma-san brought out the Hokage's wedding registry and we placed our signatures in the designated places. Tsunade-sama signed her name and then Hinata and Naruto signed the Hokage's wedding registry.

We all posed together and a picture was taken.

Before Genma-san put the scroll away I asked Sasuke to come up and see something. I gave my shishou a knowing look and she unrolled the scroll to Kakashi's parents wedding picture.

Sasuke immediately recognized his parents and activated his Sharingan so he could memorize every detail. Tsunade then rolled it back up a little but then stopped at his own parents wedding picture. He had his fingers over their picture just like Kakashi had.

He didn't cry at that moment but he suddenly turned around and hugged me.

"Thank you Sakura… I will repay your kindness one day and earn your forgiveness. I wish you happiness."

As he pulled away I noticed a single tear escape his eye, but he managed to wipe it away before anyone else noticed.

Kakashi came up to us and looked at Sasuke, "Thank you for your gift Sasuke, I will be looking forward to the day that I can return it."

"Hn" he nods and then moves to the side as he notices a group of our friends walk up the platform.

Our friends then came up to us to congratulate us once again. Once all the other teams had passed, they went out into the field where the rest of the shinobi that we had fought together with in the war had started the party. Our team was the last left on the ceremonial platform.

Naruto gives Hinata a kiss on her cheek and she blushes but goes off to catch up with Kurenai.

We all look at each other and smile… and I remember what I said to Sasuke when I asked Naruto to have him join us in the aisle, "_We are finally all back together, we have grown and made close bonds with new teammates but we will never leave anyone behind._"

* * *

A/N: Don't worry this is not the last chapter, I still have some more stuff that I want to clear up in Konoha before I finish this story. I want to thank all the people who review, it truly motivates me to keep writing. I love you guys, that is why I have posted everyday! Please review!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 26

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Our team starts walking down towards the fields but I take my wife's hand and give her a gentle squeeze to stop her for a second.

She turns and looks at me gives me a playful smile.

She wraps her hands around my waist and buries her head in my chest as I lean down and breathe in her scent along her collarbone.

I pull back a little so I can gaze into her emerald eyes and I whisper, "Thank you Sakura, you have made me the happiest man alive."

She beams at me and then says with a playful smile, "Not yet…"

With that she winks at me and then places a chaste kiss on my lips, lifts her kimono just a bit and starts running towards the rest of our team.

Her laughter is infectious and Naruto is laughing along with her.

Yamato walks up to me and says, "Congratulations once again, I wish you happiness for many years to come."

He looks towards Sasuke and then starts jogging up to where Sakura, Sai and Naruto are.

I head over towards where Sasuke was and he begins to walk next to me.

He has a confused look on his face.

"Sensei… I wish you and Sakura happiness. I know that you have heavily influenced our team and… I want to thank you for not giving up on me. I lie awake at night just thinking about what I did, what Itachi did, and… I want to have this." He waves towards the camp full of music and laughter. He sees Naruto and Sakura laughing at something that Sai said, and Yamato is looking a little embarrassed.

He wants to belong… but it will take time to build up the bonds that he tried to sever himself. He now knows that his teammates will always have his back, he just needs to trust himself and take the path that will bring him back and be able to show them that they can trust him just as well.

I sigh and I put my hand on his shoulder, "Sasuke, you will get there in time. Sakura can't be that mad at you if she stopped our wedding so that you could be one of the people who gives her away. She trusts her brother's with her life and if she wanted you to assume the position of one of her brother's she just showed you in a very public way that she has forgiven you and is going to make attempts to make it work again."

"Hn."

"You know, I am going to be needing some help building up the Hatake estate when we get back, how about you lend a hand with the building and when we are done we will in turn, help you rebuild the Uchiha compound? Think of it as a D-rank class mission on team-building."

He actually smirked…

"Ok Sensei, have to start with the basics huh?"

I attempt to look offended and say, "Come now Sasuke, you can't blame a sensei for wanting his pupils to know all the fundamentals."

He gives me a slight chuckle and then we hear Naruto yell, "Kaka-sensei! Teme! Why are you guys just chit-chatting we need to get down to the party! Sakura said she will save all of us a dance!"

_That's it! No one will dance with my wife before I can._

I flash to her side in an instant and then I teleport us to the center of our wedding reception.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel Kakashi's arms wrap around me as we are teleported somewhere.

When I open my eyes, I see that we arrived at the center of our reception. The room erupted into cheers and the music began a slow romantic melody.

Kakashi held me in his arms as we began our first dance.

He kept his gaze fixed on me and paid no attention to whatever was happening around us.

His eyes held all the unspoken promises that we had for each other.

I swayed to the music and placed my head on his shoulder.

_I felt complete now._

When the song ended we were again surrounded by cheers and our friends and some comrades came up to congratulate us.

Some of the shinobi that I didn't recognize would say, '_Sakura-sama thank you for saving my life'_ or '_Kakashi-sama, thank you for bringing peace to our country_'.

We had so many people thank us that Naruto had to clear a path and announce to everyone that he was going to have a dance with his sister.

Kakashi nodded at him and went to take a seat at a table reserved for us.

Naruto brought me to the center of dance floor and said, "Sakura-chan you look beautiful and I have never seen you so happy."

I gave him a hug and said, "Naruto thank you for everything that you have done for me, I truly love you guys."

I danced with Naruto and before I could walk away from the dance floor, Kiba-kun whisked me away for a dance with him.

"Come on Sakura, you promised a dance with all of your brothers, I couldn't let this opportunity pass!"

"Kiba-kun!"

He smiled and then when the song ended he twirled me around to be caught in the arms of Yamato-taichou.

_I had no idea that he could dance so well._

"Sakura-chan congratulations once again."

When the song finishes he bows to me and then Sai comes up and takes my hand and pulls me closer so we could dance the next song.

"Sakura, I hope I am doing this correctly. There were not many books on how to properly dance with a partner here in camp, but Ino gave me a couple of quick lessons this week."

_He actually gives me a real smile._

I smile back at him and say, "Sai, you are doing just fine."

When the song finishes, I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn around and see Sasuke.

He offers me his hand and I take it without a word. There are some murmurs around the dance floor but I pay no attention to them.

"I know that I don't deserve any of this but I want you to know that if you are going to think of me as one of your brothers, I will fulfill that position to the best of my abilities."

He is very formal in his movements but one cannot deny that the any member of the Uchiha clan moves with a certain sense of grace and fluidity.

I smile at him and say, "Sasuke, I meant what I said… We are finally together again and we will make newer stronger bonds, and we will all do it together. Thank you for your kind words, but I want you to know that even though you wish me happiness, I wish you peace. There is love in your heart still, albeit just an ember, but you are an Uchiha and they are known for their fire affinity. I know that given the right circumstances that ember can be fanned into a huge fireball. We have the Will of Fire within us and we will live by that. You have never stopped being a member of our family and you will always be welcomed into our home."

He nods slightly and then I see a small smile grace his lips as he is processing all that I told him.

When the song ends I head straight over to where Kakashi is and sit down.

Tsunade-sama is sitting next to us and then points towards the food on the plates before us.

"I told you that I would have no rations for my daughter's wedding, so we brought some supplies from all the hidden villages and we now have a feast!"

After we finish eating, Kakashi stands and manages to get everyones attention by flaring his chakra a bit.

The room quiets down and he says, "I would like to thank the generosity of the Kage's present," he bows to the table where all five Kages are sitting, "and to everyone here who is celebrating this occasion with us. Both me and Sakura are touched by the support that you have shown us. We hope that everyone present will remember this day not for the wedding that we are celebrating, but for the bonds of camaraderie that we are making as we speak. We bled together and we fought for a common cause. Our medics healed our troops regardless of what village they came from, and many newly allied shinobi were given a second chance. Let us hope that this occasion marks the passing of an old era and brings forth new beginnings for everyone present."

Cheers were heard all around camp. The Kages rose to their feet and gave Kakashi a nod in gratitude.

Shizune whispers in my ear, "You know Sakura, Naruto made a great choice in choosing Kakashi to be his advisor. I can see many years of peace ahead of us with those two at the helm. Kakashi's reputation and skills command respect and Naruto's charisma creates bonds between all the villages."

She holds her stomach tenderly, and even though her pregnancy is not yet visible, I know that she is wishing for a better tomorrow for future generations.

Kakashi then looks at me and holds out his hand towards me. I take it and stand next to my husband.

Tsunade-sama brings her cup of sake up and then says to everyone present, "I, Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, on behalf of the Kage's present from the Hidden Villages wish you happiness and pray that Kami gives you many blessings. Congratulations!"

They all toast us and we all take sips of our sake cups.

We bow to our audience and Kakashi gives me a knowing smile and squeezes my hand.

He whispers to me, "Are you ready to get out of here?"

I nod and then I say to everyone present, "Thank you all for your support and well wishes, we are truly grateful. Please enjoy the party, but me and my husband have somewhere to be."

I smile and Kakashi gives me wink that many shinobi catch.

We start to make some seals and then we disappear in a flurry of cherry blossoms and white smoke.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We are transported back to the ceremonial platform and we can hear cheers and the music start back up from down the field below us. I turn around and take my mask off once again.

I cup her face with my hands and give her a hard and passionate kiss.

Her breath increases and I can feel her pulse quicken at my touch.

I take Sakura into my arms once again and since we are now alone I am able to kiss her again with the intensity that we both felt for each other. She cups my face and simply says, "I love you."

Three simple words that kick-start my heart into a frenzy. I pick up the bag with our clothes that I had left on one side of the tree.

"Love I am going to transport us to a more private place."

She nods and wraps her hands around my neck and holds me tight.

I do the seals and then we are thrust into a different clearing near a valley nearby. It is full of wildflowers where a small spring meets a rock formation. Best of all it has a perfect view of the night sky. Sakura unwraps her hands and takes a look around. I pick up Minato-sensei's kunai and I catch a glimpse of my pack near the supplies that they brought. Sakura sees them too and runs up to them.

Pakkun is the first to say anything, "Yo, boss! Hello Sakura, you're a member of the Hatake clan now, huh? Well, on behalf of the pack, we would like to tell you and Kakashi that when you have pups, and they grow up, we will be honored if they sign our summoning contract."

She picks him up and gives him a hug. Sakura allows the pack to encircle her and she hugs all the dogs and thanks them personally.

I take out and release the scroll that holds the bag of Inuzuka dog treats and open it up.

The pack immediately catches the smell and runs in my direction.

I thank them for setting all of this up last-minute and give them a couple of treats each.

They will be running a perimeter around this clearing while Sakura and I spend the night here. Once they are gone, I activate the inner perimeter seals and walk up to where the pack left our supplies.

I begin to unseal several scrolls and start setting up a tent similar to the size that the Kage's had back in camp. The size is impressive because we can fit a futon, some chairs and a small table.

"Can I help with anything, love?"

"Sakura, I am almost done would you like to sit outside or stay inside the tent?"

She looks up at the stars and then says that she will be outside waiting for me.

Once I finish, I grab two blankets and head over to where she is standing looking up at the moon.

She is a vision of beauty.

Her face is peaceful and when she feels me approach she closes her eyes and sighs in contentment.

I place the blanket near the soft grass and then take her into my arms. She opens her eyes and breathes out slowly.

Her eyes sparkle with the light of the moon and I melt into their depths once again.

I caress her cheek and feel her lean in towards my touch.

"You are so beautiful… I can see the beautiful compassionate soul that you have when I get lost in your eyes."

Sakura turns her face towards my hand and kisses my palm.

That little action said so much to me that I could only lean in and capture those soft pink lips.

We started off slow but her passion was getting the best of the both of us and our kisses became fierce and passionate.

Her hands cupped my face and then managed to find their way into my hair.

Her soft tugs sent shivers down my spine.

My hands rubbed small circles on her back and I grabbed her by the waist with one hand while I held the back of her neck with the other. I tilted her neck and began kissing along her jaw line down towards her collarbone.

She gasped at my touch and then I felt her hands trying to take off the layers of my kimono.

I inhaled her scent deeply and began to undo the many knots and folds of her obi.

She was trying to do the same with me but kept finding weapons instead.

I took a step back and then smiled at her.

She only raised her eyebrows but caught on to what I was about to do.

I began taking out all the weapons and placed them to the side of us. When she saw my large pile, she gave a small laugh and then began to take out the weapons that she carried.

I only raised an eyebrow and shake my head.

Once we were completely unarmed I undid the knots in my kimono and let it slide off. Leaving me only in my pants.

She blushed and then was about to take off the first layer of her kimono when I raised my hand and stopped her.

I went behind her and began kissing the back of her neck while I gently massaged her shoulders.

As my hands slid down her shoulders they also slid the garment off inch by inch.

I kissed every single inch of skin that was revealed to me. Her breathing was changing and I could feel the shivers that racked her with every touch.

I finally got all the material off of her body and she was just left in her lacy white panties.

She tried to cover her breasts but since I was facing her back I could only see the elegant curve of her back. The curves of her hips were accentuated by the lacey cut of the material that she still wore. I turned her around very slowly and I kept my eyes fixed on hers.

"Love... no masks, no barriers between us… there is no need for you to hide from me."  
I took her arms and brought them around my neck. I kissed her and then began to lay her down on the blanket that I set down beforehand.

She looked up at me and then I began to look down at her body. She blushed but I kept looking at her and then began to softly touch the swell of her breasts.

She gasped and I took the opportunity to kiss her deeply. When I broke the kiss she smiled at me and I began to kiss down her neck towards the valley of her breasts.

She arched her back to meet me when I pressed my hand around one soft mound and ran my thumb along her nipple. She looked down and saw me take the other breast into my mouth and run my tongue along the nipple eliciting a small cry of pleasure. She wound her fingers in my hair and gave a slight tug.

I almost lost it there, but I regained some control when she breathed out my name. I looked at her and then began to travel down to her stomach kissing and giving her soft flesh little bites along the way. When I got to my destination she felt that I was pulling on the lace of her panties with my teeth and immediately looked down at me.

"Ohh, love you smell delicious." I began to kiss her through the material and noticed that it was getting wet.

She blushed again but relaxed a bit when she felt my hands massage her thighs. I kissed the inside of those silky thighs and almost growled in pleasure when she ran her hands along my hair again.

She whispered, "Kashi…"

I couldn't handle it anymore and I tore through the flimsy lace and tossed it to one side.

She was now completely exposed to me and I could only take in the breathtaking sight before me. I began to kiss the inside of her thigh again and finally reached my goal. I kissed her womanhood and slowly began to run my tongue along her folds. She cried out in pleasure and arched her back. I had to gently guide her back down and began to encircle her bundle of nerves slowly but deliberately. I ran a finger along her folds and I slowly pushed in.

"Kashi… oh kami…. ohhh"

I stretch her out a little and begin to push in and out while I still encircle her sensitive bud slowly with my tongue. She begins to moan and her vocal cries push me to venture forward by slowly pushing a second finger into her.

"Kashi…"

She begins to rake her fingers through my hair and I begin to swirl, kiss and suck on that sensitive piece of flesh that was driving her crazy.

She suddenly gives my hair a sharp tug, while she cries out my name loudly. I feel her inner walls clamp down on my fingers as she is having a small convulsions before me. I lap up her juices and taste the sweet nectar that she is pouring forth for me.

When she is coming down from her pleasure, I make my way up to her and gaze once again into those beautiful green eyes.

I can only say, "Love, you are wonderful."

She blushes once again but I felt her tug at the edge of my pants. I see what she wants to do and I see her having trouble taking my pants off. I smile at her and then do the job myself.

I took my boxers along with it and I see her eyes grow wide when she sees my arousal. She reaches out as if wanting to touch me, but then hesitates.

She looks up at me and I give her a kiss to encourage her. I whisper, "Love I am all yours, do not be afraid of taking what is rightfully yours."

I see her timid look as she reaches for me and I support my weight on my elbows as I lean backwards. When her hand touches me I throw my head back in a silent prayer to whatever Kami has allowed me this pleasure.

She tentatively encircles her hand around my length and slowly moves it up. A moan escapes my lips when I feel her thumb run across the tip. I really can't take it anymore and I lean forward and catch her lips. She is taken by surprise and I gently lay her back down along the blanket. I move over her and hold my weight on my arms, so as not to crush her.

"Sakura, I need you…"

She sees the longing and need in my eyes and she whispers, "I need you too."

I begin to kiss her once more and gently bite her lower lip.

I position myself along her folds and I look deep into her eyes silently asking for permission.

She blushes once more but closes her eyes as I slowly slide into her warm wet passage. When I reach her barrier I stop and allow her to adjust. When she opens her eyes, she is breathing a bit faster and then says, "Be quick."

I comply to her orders and swiftly thrust into her and stop once I am completely sheathed into her. I once again allow her to adjust to the sensation and wait for her to let me know when she is ready.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel his full length inside me and I completely forget the small pain that I had just felt moments before.

I look up to his dark grey eyes and I am lost into the maelström of our passion. I unconsciously roll my hips into him and he gives a soft groan of pleasure. He begins to pull out slowly and then push back in. His pace is gentle and I can only imagine that he is holding back until I am used to his size.

As he pushes in and out his hands are all over me, caressing me softly and gently massaging strategic points along my body.

His kisses grow more hungry and it is as if he can sense how my body is reacting to him. I can feel the growing sensation deep in my lower stomach, like a pull that is clenching my insides in a delicious pressure. He begins to go a bit faster and kisses my breast as his hand gently cups the other one.

I feel the pressure building again and his hands slide down to my waist to get a better hold of me. He speeds up just a little and then I feel myself go over an invisible cliff and all I see is bright white light as I come once more. I strangle his name out in between pants and can only hold onto him as the sensations rack through my body once more. When I begin to relax again he sits back on his heels and brings me to straddle him along the waist.

He holds most of my weight on his arms and I am slowly sliding down along his length.

He groans as this new position is giving the both of us a new sensation.

He kisses my neck and takes another small bite along the edge of my shoulders, when I feel him slowly thrust up.

"Oh Kashi…"

He begins once more and starts setting a different pace than before. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my hands along his hair.

It is so soft and silky that I can't help but give it small tugs.

He groans out, "Sa..ku..ra!"

Kakashi begins to thrust faster and then lays me back down and pulls out for a second to get my legs around his shoulders.

He then thrusts inside me and the new angle hit a spot that made me cry out his name once more.

His hands hold my waist in place and I rake my fingernails along his forearms as his pace quickens.

I see how his breathing has changed and his eyes darken with sense of pure unbridled passion deep within.

I begin to feel his white chakra build up and I then concentrate my own into the inner walls of my passage. When he feels this he loses control and begins to take me with a different speed that is erratic and can only mean that he is close.

He keeps hitting the same spot that is driving me insane and then I suddenly feel his white chakra envelope us once again as we both scream out each other's name.

I feel his seed fill me and see his eyes roll back in pure ecstasy.

As we both come down from our pleasure his body relaxes into me and I only feel how his arms surround me and he throws another blanket over us.

We stay that way until we can catch our breaths and we stare at the moon and stars above us.

Kakashi has always been relaxed while out in nature and I can see the beauty of sleeping underneath the stars.

He begins to caress my back as I relax into his arms and fall asleep.

I wake up a while later to his kisses as we have several encores of our previous activities that last until the early morning hours.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the wedding and this chapter filled with lemony goodness. Please review! This was the first time that I wrote anything like this so I don't know if it was choppy or if it made sense at all (because it did in my head). Can't wait for everyone to get back to Konoha!

BTW I forgot to add this in the last A/N. To all my readers from Japan, I apologize if I got some of the ceremony wrong, believe me I do not mean to offend anybody. I know that a Shinto priest should perform the ceremony and that there should be a Nakodo but I don't think that Shizune and Genma fit that role. I mixed in other western ceremony traditions. Plus the Hokage is the one officiating it because they are both shinobi and they both don't have any living parents. Since this is a fictional universe I pray that I am allowed some liberties in the ceremonies and traditions.

Once I am done with this story I don't know if just to continue it or just make a sequel after a timeskip or something. Just throwing it out there to see if anyone has some suggestions.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 27

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I wake up before sunrise and I can feel Sakura's arms wrapped firmly around me. She is sleeping soundly at my side with a content smile on her sweet face. I managed to sleep for about two hours since I last made love to her, but I decide to give her a break, I wanted her first time to be special not a marathon.

Tsunade-sama had given us all of today and didn't expect us back until later this evening so we could all prepare to head back to Konoha.

The sky is still littered with stars and it will be another hour until sunrise. I pick her up and carry her towards the tent I had set up last night.

I place her on the futon and she curls into the blanket that we both shared.

Her peaceful face is breathtaking and flashes of her moans and cries of pleasure run through my head.

_Her skin… Her touch… Her fingers running through my hair._

I can only imagine if this is what heaven is like.

As much as I want to crawl back in bed with her, I have some things that I want to do before she wakes up.

I head out and take a quick run towards where my pack of ninken had been patrolling the perimeter. As I approach each of them, I give them another dog treat and tell them that they can go back and I will summon them if I need them again.

I head back and fortify the perimeter seals once again.

Once I get back into the tent I sit by the table and take out a couple of blank scrolls.

I don't want to wake Sakura up by turning on any lights inside the tent, so I only allow my fingertips to glow with my white chakra to illuminate my furious writing.

I was so wrapped up in my writing that I am almost startled when I feel a warm breath on the back of my neck and fingers gently massaging my scalp.

"Ahhh, Sakura… you have no idea what that does to me…"

She kisses my ear and takes a small little bite.

I can almost hear her purr coming from her chest. I get up from the chair and swiftly deposit her back into the futon.

"So we are feisty and impatient in the morning, huh?"

I smile in her direction and she puts her hand on her hip and says, "Well if my husband would have stayed in bed I would have been warm and cozy and stayed asleep."

I grin at her and then say, "Let me see what I can do to remedy that situation then."

She giggles as I crawl over her and begin to kiss her in some of the spots that I found out she was ticklish in last night.

I make love to my wife until way past sunrise and only allow for her to get up when she pleads to go get some food.

"Kashi, no one can go on like that on an empty stomach… Please love, I need some food."

I relinquish my hold when she promises to come back to bed with food in hand.

She brings some onigiri and some fresh fruit for us to share.

"Kashi, what were you working on a little while ago?"

I take a bite out of my pear and then go grab the scrolls that I left on the table. I come back and Sakura sits on my lap as she continues to eat a plum.

"Sakura this is a sketch of my family home, I was going to ask if you wanted to help me rebuild it?"

Her eyes widen and she takes the scroll from my hands and then starts looking over the plans that I had drawn from memory.

"Kashi this is amazing! I like this but we might have to make the garden a bit bigger though. The kids will need a place to train with the ninken, and I would like to have a room to be able to treat any of our friends that might need healing."

I am absolutely enraptured by her energy and I am thrilled by what she says concerning our future kids.

"Sakura you can have anything you want, this will be your home too. We can add whatever you will like."

"In that case we will need a bigger kitchen as well, I know that we will be having lot's of company over and then we will be entertaining our children's friends as well."

I smile at her, "Sakura when do you want to start having kids?"

She gives me a shy smile and says, "I thought we were just doing that… umm… Kashi I didn't start the birthcontrol jutsu. I know that you want a new chapter in our lives and well… I know that with the seal on your heart...you… I mean we, will not be able to go on missions as much so…"

"Love, if we are blessed with children I will receive them with open arms. I believe that everything that we have lived through has led us to today and we are being given second chances."

She hugs me and I then continue, "If my job is to serve my village as the Hokage's advisor, or it is to raise the next generation I will excel in each role."

She kisses my cheek and then begins to write her own notes on the scroll.

"Kashi, when do you think we can get started on all of this? It looks like a lot of work."

"I'm sure it is, I haven't stepped foot in there for years but I know that the foundations were strong last time I checked on the old place. I really never thought that I would be able to go back, but I seem to have found some peace within myself to do it. Knowing that I could raise a family there with you got me thinking that it might not be a bad idea."

"But you know that we will have to live somewhere while we fix the place, oh and don't forget that you are Sasuke's sponsor and sensei now too."

"Yeah, I talked with him and asked him to help us rebuild and we will in turn help him out with the Uchiha compound. He has many ghosts there that he will have to face and I believe that we can help each other."

"I think it is a great idea."

"Sakura, we have until this afternoon to go back to camp, is there anything that you want to do today?"

* * *

Sakura's POV

"Do you think that we could gp to the hot spring that I saw when we got here?"

He smiles at me and nods.

I get up from the futon and walk over to the pack that Kakashi had brought for us and I start looking through the pack for extra clothes.

I find a spare yukatas for both of us and some towels. As I take out the towels some lacey, frilly thing falls and I pick it up questioningly.

"Kashi what is this?"

He actually blushes and he then says that one of the guys gave it to him as a wedding present for us.

I pick up the flimsy thing and say, "This is something that I'm supposed to wear?! There is barely any material for proper hitai-ate, much less to be considered lingerie."

He rubs the back of his head and then says, "It's from the _Icha Icha_ collection."

Upon closer inspection I see that it is of the same style of the lingerie that Ino-pig gave me.

I shudder and then I say, "I can't believe it… Ino gave me a similar outfit as my wedding gift… that means that she reads those books too!"

His eyes widen just a bit and then he starts laughing.

We get ready and head over to the springs.

When we get there we both begin to relax in the soothing water.

We end up talking about our future positions back in Konoha.

"How do you think the new school shishou wants to build will be?"

He begins to massage my shoulders and says, "I am not sure, but I heard that they want to send some students there from all the hidden villages to improve their medical skills."

"Mmmm, that sounds nice…"

I relax into his touch and he kisses the side of my neck.

"Mmmm… Kashi…."

"Love, as much as I want you again, I don't want you to be sore. We have to travel in a couple of hours."

"Mmmm… ok…"

He could tell that if he continued to massage my shoulders I would fall asleep.

He stopped for a moment and then I managed to somehow come back to reality and turn around to face him.

"Love I think we have soaked in here long enough. How about we get back to camp and I will make some food for lunch?"

We get out of the spring and put on our clothes once again.

By the time we get back to camp I am really hungry. He starts a fire and I begin to rummage through the food that the pack brought us.

The meal is simple but he swears that it tastes delicious.

It is endearing hearing him say things like complimenting his wife's cooking.

I still can't believe it… me... I am Hatake Sakura, and I am the happiest woman in the world.

* * *

A/N sorry so short of a chapter, I had a couple of things going on today so I didn't have a lot of time to write. Promise next chapter will be better. Please review!


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 28

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We arrived back at camp later that evening and found that there were still some hung over shinobi grumbling around.

_What kind of party did these guys have?_

We report to Tsunade-sama's tent and as we enter, Shizune tells us that even Tsunade is hung over as well.

_What's new there? She is always drinking, but to get so drunk that she still can't burn off the effects of the party is something else._

"Sakura please come here and help me get rid of this hangover."  
My wife puts her hands on her hips and says, "Shishou you know you shouldn't drink this much. What happened?"  
Our Hokage, leader of Konoha rolled back into bed and whined, "Ahggg…. head hurts to much to think."

Shizune is shaking her head and comes up to me and says, "She and the Raikage thought it would be ok to have a drinking match."

I chuckle lightly and have to ask, "So, who won?"

Tsunade-sama turned around and then glared at me, "Have you no faith in your Hokage? Of course I beat him!"

Sakura shakes her head again but goes up to Tsunade-sama and begins healing her.

After she was done, Tsunade-sama gets up and looks at the both of us, "Well… am I going to expect some grandbabies soon?"

I rub the back of my head and Sakura says, "Shishou!"

After an awkward conversation with the mother-in-law about ovulation and different positions that will help with conception Sakura and I both hurry out of the tent before she can demand sperm count numbers or things of that nature.

As soon as we are out of hearing distance Sakura says, "I'm sorry love… Tsunade-sama gets just a little excited at the prospect of having grandchildren. At least she didn't threaten to use her power as Hokage to order us to start a family."

She laughs a bit nervously but I take her hands in mine and say, "Now _that_ is a mission that I would obey without question and even show up on time for."

I smile at her blush and we continue to walk towards her tent to start to pack up.

When we get there we both feel several chakra signatures inside the tent and immediately know who they belong to.

I have an instinct to run in the other direction but Sakura keeps my hand firmly in place.

Before we can enter the tent, Ino comes out and pulls the both of us inside the tent.

_Kami, I just know that she will use her interrogation techniques…_

I look around and Tenten, Tamari, and Hinata are there looking straight at me with a strange look.

"Forehead you have to tell me why you have seen that," she points at my face, "and didn't tell us about it?!" Ino is clearly worked up and I begin to feel like I'm about to be put on the chopping block as a piece of meat.

Ino continues, "Kami… If we knew he looked that good, we just could have asked him to take that damn mask off and effectively end this war years ago by just blinding the enemy with his good looks!"

Sakura is blushing beside me but she keeps a playful grin on her face.

Tamari then says, "Kakashi-san you really are a bit distracting, is that why you cover up?"  
I feel that this is my cue to leave so I gave Sakura a pleading look and when her eyes soften I disappear without saying a word out of that tent.

_I bet we will be in the gossip circle for some time after we get to Konoha._

I need to go back to my tent and pack… In the words of Shikamaru 'How troublesome'.

* * *

Sakura's POV

Kakashi managed to escape but I was then surrounded by my friends asking me these questions. Ino however asked the one questions that I really didn't want to talk about. She sat me down on a chair and loomed over me, "So, how is he in bed?"

"That's it, I've had it with this, Kakashi has always been a private man so what he did at our wedding, (_and thereafter_), was all selfless and for my benefit. He wanted to make this day special for me, and now you have gone and scared off my husband, Ino-pig!"

"Yeah but you haven't answered the question… is he or is he not good in bed?"  
I say nothing but the thoughts of what we did assault me in an instant and I begin to blush again. A stupid smile is plastered on my face at the thought of my husband doing a very specific activity with expert skill.

"Ha, I knew it, he must be that good if Forehead here can't even describe it in words, just look at her face, that says it all."

Tamari then says, "You guys probably underestimated him because of his appearance, I mean he does have silver hair, is always in that uniform, and is always reading that stupid book in public, looks can be deceiving."

Ino actually blushes slightly at the mention of a specific book and my suspicions are confirmed. I, however, can't stop remembering the feel of that soft, silky, silver hair of his.

Ino quickly recovers and says to Tamari, "Yeah talk about deceiving! You and Shikamaru were dating for years! Don't get me started on the both of you, who would have thought that the lazy baka would actually make an effort to court someone, especially if he has had to keep this under wraps for years!"

I wanted the conversation to change course because I could just see Suna and Konoha entering another war because of these two.

_I know just the thing..._

"Ino mind telling me when and why you managed to teach Sai how to dance?"

Tenten and Hinata's eyes grew wide and I could tell that whatever was going on would be interesting to say the least.

Tamari spoke up, "Yeah Ino I was wondering why you were getting cozy with him during the reception."

Ino was at a loss for words and just stammered, "I... I mean he... well you see... OK! I'll admit it, at first it was just a friendly lesson so he wouldn't look like an idiot on the dance floor but after a couple of lessons something just clicked, his hand would linger just a bit longer on my waist and he would actually smile... Not the fake smile he always has, but a real one that actually reached his eyes. They are such a rich dark color..."

Tenten whispered to Hinata and me, "I think Ino is falling for Sai."

I am trying to process that, Ino and Sai...

_Mmmm... well Sai can hold his own and if Ino could teach him to dance, well it might work out in the end. _

My thoughts are shattered when I heard a familiar, "Sakura-chan!" outside my tent.

I sigh and say, "Come in Naruto."

My knucklehead brother comes in and smiles at me but when he looks in Hinata's direction we can see a small blush forming. Tenten clears her throat and then Naruto says, "Oh yeah, I came to check on you. Are you ok? Did Kaka-sensei hurt you? I'll kick his ass if he did!"

I scream, "Naruto! Stop calm down, my husband didn't hurt me, I'm fine you see. I need to get my stuff packed so we can head back to Konoha."

We all kind of smiled at the thought of home.

"Ok Sakura-chan, but when we get back home I am treating you and Kaka-sensei to ramen!"

I smile at him and think that we might want to warn everyone in the vicinity of Ichiraku's that a certain ninja will probably not leave the establishment for a good couple of days!

My friends helped me pack and seal various things in some scrolls for easier storage.

Kakashi walked in the tent and informed everyone that we would be heading out in 20 minutes.

We got to the gates and we saw Genma carrying Shizune. She looked a bit pale and I immediately began to worry.

"Shizune are you ok? You don't look so good."  
"I'm fine Sakura just a bit of morning sickness that's all."  
Genma grumbled under his breath that there was no such thing as morning sickness, "It should be renamed to 'I'll-be-sick-at-whatever-time-I-feel-like-just-to-make-my-husband-worry-out-of-his-mind sickness."

I laughed at his unnecessary worrying, Shizune was a fine medic and she knew exactly what was going on. She would have come to either me or shishou if she believe the baby to be in any danger.

I turn to look at Kakashi and his eyes were wide and I could tell that he was thinking about something.

I held his hand and began to slowly caress his knuckles taking my time going over the wedding band that looked so good on his hand.

He looked down at me and I said, "Don't worry Kashi, that is a normal part of pregnancy, Shizune is absolutely fine. When our time comes, I promise to always keep you up to date so that you don't worry about me like that."

"Yeah, but you know that I will still worry when it comes to you and my family."

"And that is why I love you so much." I reach and encircle my arms around his neck and give him a sweet kiss over his masked lips. I begin to entangle my fingers in his hair and he leans down, pulls down his mask and takes another kiss from me, but this time it is deeper and a bit more urgent.

"Hey you two, stop that already… that's what got me and Shizune in this predicament in the first place!"

Kakashi quickly replaced his mask and I smiled at the couple before us.

We were getting ready to leave and Kakashi went and picked up one of Genma's bags to carry to help lighten his load a bit. Shizune was still not well and might need to be carried a part of the way back to Konoha.

We jump along the trees and begin our trek back home.

_Home… We are going to need to find an apartment once we get back. I know our things were put in storage when we left to fight the war so most of us will be needing to find new places to live. Maybe… Hmm, I need to ask Kashi if it will be ok._

Kakashi saw me thinking and asked, "What's on your mind love?"

"Well since we are going to go back home, all of our stuff is in storage, and we will all be needing a place to stay, how about if we ask everyone to help with the Hatake estate build and then we let them stay with us while they find apartments for themselves. I know that Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Shino, Neji, Hinata, and Kiba-kun all have clan compounds to go to, but Tenten, Lee, Gai-senpai, Yamato-taichou, Sai, Naruto and Sasuke will not have a place that is there waiting for them, their apartments must have been rented out as well during the war. Maybe we can all stay at the Hatake estate and we will clean it up faster."

"You have such a compassionate heart… Ok if they would like to stay and help I would be ok with that."

I smile widely at him and when we take a break for camp we tell our friends. The ones that had clan compounds even offered to help so that the job will go faster and be easier on everyone.

Six days later and we begin to see the gates of Konoha off in the distance.

As we get closer we regroup into a different travelling formation.

Many of the villagers are at the gates and begin cheering when they see all of us.

Tsunade-same had Naruto stand right beside her as a sign that he would be her successor.

We were right behind them as we were ranked officers, but we managed to get Sasuke to stand by the rest of Team 7. Kakashi and I were to his right and Yamato-taichou and Sai were to his left. There were many whispers among the villagers but Sasuke kept a stoic face and continued on without batting an eye.

Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him his trademark eye crinkle.

"Sasuke, welcome back home."

He nodded at him and then looked on as we passed the gates of Konoha.

* * *

A/N: We are finally back home! Thank you for the reviews once more! I was going to make it longer but this felt like a good spot to stop for today.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 29

* * *

Kakashi's POV

As we enter the gates of Konoha, I could feel the villagers confusion. On one part they had heard all about the war and they were happy to see us.

Many had accepted Naruto as the future Hokage of Konoha because of the reports that we sent back to the village, but Sasuke's presence was something that they didn't have time to prepare for.

I sent a low amount of white chakra as we passed by to try to alleviate any fears of mistrust among the villagers. Most of them didn't notice the low level chakra surrounding the area, but I could feel their tension ease a bit.

This is going to be hard on Sasuke as it is, so having doubtful villagers would only hinder any process that we might make.

Sasuke noticed the change in atmosphere as soon as I let out some chakra and only raised an eyebrow towards me.

I responded to his unasked question, "You will still have to earn their trust, I am just helping them have an open mind about things for the time being."

He nods and continues to walk alongside us.

Everyone who was going to be staying with us followed me to the outskirts of Konoha to look over the Hatake clan grounds.

It was still early in the morning when we arrived so we planned to look over the grounds first and then go collect some of our things from storage.

When we got to my old family home Naruto says, "Wow, Kaka-sensei, I had no idea that you used to live here. This place has lots of potential, it is like the house was built around the surroundings."

"Naruto, my family has always had a close bond with the outdoors and my parents enjoyed the views that this home provided."

Sakura just walks quietly around the estate and looks on towards the surrounding porch that wraps around the house.

The inner courtyard has some overgrowth but one could tell that it was once a very peaceful meditative spot.

Tenten asks, "Does this place have running water?"

I laugh lightly and say, "Yes, it does, my father worked the pipes underground and we always had hot water because of the underground hot springs. The electricity is something that I will have to get connected though."

Sasuke wanders around and is drawn to the remains of the garden in the back.

He looks where I think used to be a water garden that is now overrun by plantlife. He stares at the statue that is buried in the underbrush. It is a set of fans, one with small carvings of the Hatake clan and the other with an Uchiha clan emblem.

I walk up to him and he says, "I remember my mother used to have the same statue in her garden. Do you think our parents were friends? I never paid attention to any part of my mother's garden after their deaths, but I would have missed the carved triangles on the other fan. At the time I had no idea that they belonged to another clan."

I walk up to the statue and begin taking off the overgrown vines around it.

I turn back to Sasuke and say, "You know I don't know much about my mother, but I do remember your father coming over to talk with my own a couple of times. I think that they were good friends. We might be able to look over some old boxes when we get some time. I never really wanted to look at that stuff after my dad died, so I only kept his tanto and their rings with me."

He nods and then we both return to our group by the front of the house.

I look at them and say, "I know that the place needs a lot of work as of now, but we might be able to concentrate on a couple rooms for now to make them suitable for us to stay over while we work on the house."

Gai and Lee are the first ones to speak up, "My eternal rival we will finish these rooms in no time!"

"Hai, Gai-sensei!"

Sakura gives them a smile and we all go into the house to survey the damage and take note of what we will need for repairs.

We had our list of things and we all set out towards different stores.

By lunch time everyone had returned and brought some extra help.

Each clan sent either supplies or people to help, I was really amazed by everyone's willingness to lend a hand.

We worked fairly quickly and before sunset we had five rooms, three bathrooms and the kitchen in working order.

I think that by tomorrow we could finish the majority of the estate, and Sakura and I could finish the rest when we had a chance.

By dinner time Tsunade-sama, Genma and Shizune came over and brought food for everyone that had worked on our home.

After dinner some of the clan heads came by and wished us luck as new clan heads of the Hatake family. They expressed their thanks for the healing of the clan heirs during battle by bringing food, and some basic pieces of furniture.

They also gave us some extra futons, blankets and pillows to sleep.

Sakura and I were truly grateful for their support and generosity.

While Sakura was making sure that the newly finished rooms had the new futons and blankets, I looked at the water system and managed to get the pipes to work.

I yelled down the hall that we now had running water and they could take a shower when they pleased.

Gai and Lee shared a room, Tenten had her own, Sai and Yamato shared the room facing the courtyard, and Naruto and Sasuke were going to share one as well at the end of the hall.

As everyone headed towards their rooms to finally get a good night's sleep, I took Sakura's hand and led her to the other side of the house.

We walk into our bedroom and she quietly walks around the room inspecting my handiwork.  
I painted the walls a soft green and even though the room lacked a lot of furniture, I did manage to hang the sketches that Sai had drawn for us of our hands together and of her in her wedding kimono. Those were the only things that adorned our walls in our bedroom.

I had moved my mother's dresser to the far side of the wall across from our bed and placed a vase with some wildflowers for Sakura to enjoy. I managed to find some of her personal items in her bag and left them inside the dresser for her to organize later to her taste.

The bed is the one thing that I did splurge on. The mattress alone was a luxury that I would have never bought for myself, but I wanted my wife to have the best. The linens were white but since I didn't have enough time to go and get a new bedspread I used my old one that had a shuriken pattern on it.

I notice that she went over to the bed and touched the bedspread so lightly that it looked like a caress. She knew it was mine. She had been in my old apartment many times and had seen it from the times that I was injured and recuperating in bed. A smile graced her lips and she went to the dresser to smell the flowers I left for her.

Our room had large windows that had a direct view of the garden. It was roomy and had an adjacent bathroom with a tub and shower. Our room connected to a private study that was only accessible through a sliding door within our room.

"Sakura I wasn't able to finish this side yet, but this side of the estate will be our personal living quarters. The side where everyone else is, was usually reserve for guests but that is where we will make space for your medic room. That way if they need to stay over we wont have to transport them too far. This side is reserved for us specifically. We can add some more rooms for the kids later on, or we can change the layout if you don't like that…"

She pulls down my mask and gives me a sweet kiss.

"Kakashi, this is perfect…"

She presses her body along mine and I pull her even closer in a tight embrace.

"Sakura, I love you."

She shivers when I kiss her collarbone and then I remember that we have company in the house. I place a silencing jutsu in our room and when I am done I flash to my wife's side and continue my ministrations.

I kiss her deeply once more and then begin to make my way down to her neck. I can feel her pulse quicken with each kiss that I place and her hands are fumbling with my pants.

She finally succeeds to just unbutton the top but fails to take them off because I take both of her hands and place them above her head, pinning her to the wall behind us.

With one hand I manage to take her shorts off and only let go to take both of our shirts off.

I left her in only her chest bindings and panties. She looks divine pinned to the wall being held in place by my hands and her legs wrapped around my waist.

My mouth makes its way to her breast and hearing her whisper my name in pure pleasure is almost my undoing. I place her hands around my neck so she could hold on while I took my pants off.

I grab the kunai that I had taken out of the back of my pants and tear her bindings and panties off.

When she pulls my hair and begins to kiss my exposed neck, I align myself with her and take her in one thrust.

I let her adjust for a second but my control is threadbare at this point.

She tilts her head back and exposes her neck to me, which I quickly begin to kiss as I whisper to her, "I love you Sakura."

Her moans fill the soundproofed room and I am enraptured with her body once more.

That night I made love to my wife in our home, our clan home, for the rest of the night.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I wake up around 3 am and slowly disentangle myself from Kakashi's arms.

This bed is so comfortable but I am really thirsty and need some water.

He instinctively tightens his hold on me but I kiss his cheek and tell him I'm going to the kitchen to get some water and will be back shortly. He sleepily nods and buries his head in my pillow inhaling deeply.

_His sense of smell is so acute that I wonder if he is distant relative to the Inuzuka's._

I silently walk over to the kitchen and grab a glass and start to fill it with some water.

As I am taking a couple of sips I suddenly feel a presence behind me.

I turn around and I see the crimson red of the Sharingan.

The glass I held fell from my hands but Sasuke grabbed it before it can hit the floor without spilling a drop.

He notices my surprise and he automatically shuts down his Sharingan.

"S-Sasuke, you startled me. I didn't think anyone else was awake."

He drinks from the glass that he held in his hands and then sets it on the counter.

"I… I couldn't sleep. I am sorry for startling you in your own home."

I notice that he had a light sheen on his brow and his hand was clenched at his side.

"Sasuke are you ok?"  
He looks at the floor and says nothing.

I know that something is bothering him but I won't press him right now. I don't want to lose the progress that we have already made.

"Umm…. I'm here if you want to talk, ok."

He still continues to look at the floor.  
I walk around the kitchen island heading towards my room, when he grabs my wrist lightly and says, "Sakura… Thank you."

With that he turns around and walks away.

I walk back into my room and crawl under the covers into Kakashi's warm embrace.

I lay there thinking about what just happened with Sasuke.

It must be really hard for him to come back after all this time, plus he was thrown into a house with so many people after being alone for so long.

_He must be confused…_

_Maybe he has nightmares…_

_Is it because he will eventually have to go back to the Uchiha compound…_

With those thoughts I go to sleep but my dreams are now plagued with images of a younger version of Sasuke, alone in a blood splattered room.

I wake up when Kakashi begins his early morning workout routine.

He is doing his usual set of 200 push-ups before he heads out to do some katas outside.

"Good morning love."

He looks at me and says, "Sakura did I wake you? Go back to sleep love it's still early."  
I shake my head and tell him that I wanted to get a head start on the day.

He smiles at me and then motions for me to sit on his back as he finishes his push-ups.

I lay down on his back but lay on my stomach so I could play with his hair as he continues to work out.

"Argghh… Sakura I will have a different kind of workout if you continue to do that."

I giggle in his ear and take a small bite of his earlobe.

He almost falters in his steady rhythm but quickly composes himself and continues on.

I behave for a while but then I ask him, "Kashi, are you sure that we should have Sasuke return to the Uchiha compound by himself? I don't know if he will be emotionally stable to do that this soon."

"I don't know… I haven't even began to train with him yet. I want to focus on mental training and coping mechanisms… physically he has excelled in his skills as a shinobi. Without the Sharingan I might be at a disadvantage but since I have my white chakra I think I can calm him down enough for a good fight. It isn't a jutsu so he might not be able to catch my intent when I release it."

I debate over telling him about last night but I don't want to keep anything from him.

I felt horrible keeping the seal a secret from him, but now that he knows everything I don't want to ruin that trust.

"Kashi, I… I'm worried about Sasuke."

He stops his work out and then flips us over so that I am below him and he looks deep into my eyes.

"What is it love?"  
I tell him about our encounter last night and how he looked and acted.

"Kashi, I think that he is having nightmares and if we go to his compound before he is mentally prepared we might lose him. He might go back to being filled with hate over the loss of his family, especially know that he knows about his brother's true intent."

He continues to look at me deep in thought.

"You are right love, all that we have done will be for nothing if he isn't ready to face his demons."

I cup his face and look lovingly into his eyes, I love how he can understand me in such a way that words are not needed.

He kisses my forehead and gets up.

He starts getting dressed and tells me that he will be at the memorial stone but will be back shortly after sunrise.

I blow him a kiss as he jumps out the window.

I sit there thinking about all of this and get up to take an early shower before everyone begins to wake up.

Once I got out of the shower and dressed up for another day of working on the house, I head towards the kitchen and begin making breakfast for our guests.

As I was about to finish with the food, I hear footsteps down the hall.

"Good morning, Sai. Hungry?"

"Do you need any help?"

"Naw I'm almost done here, please go and sit I'll be bringing out the tea in a bit."

He saw the plates that I needed to still take to the table and he quickly grabbed some of them and placed them in the dining table.

Yamato-taichou came in, saw what we were doing and silently grabbed a couple of cups, and napkins to place on the table as well.

"Thanks, please sit and eat."

Tenten came out of her room and said, "Good morning Sakura. Wow, this looks delicious."  
I smiled at her and told her to come and eat.

Gai-senpai and Lee came out and greeted me as well.

"Sakura-chan, thank you for your hospitality, this smells delicious. May I ask where is my eternal rival, is he already getting a head start working outside?"

Kakashi strolls in and says to him, "Nope I had to go and see a friend but I was stopped by the most interesting…."

Naruto comes down the hall and interrupts him, "Kaka-sensei, we already know all of your excuses."

_What my dear knucklehead brother doesn't know is that he was actually telling the truth and it wasn't an excuse._

Sasuke comes in right after him and I motion for them to sit on the table.

We all begin to eat our breakfast and talk about the things that we need to finish.

Tenten says that Tsunade-sama will be bringing some lists of available apartments for rent later on today. I smile at my friends and they start to say that they will leave as soon as they find a suitable apartment.

I was going to tell them that they didn't have to hurry, when Kakashi said to them, "Guys, you are welcome to stay here until you find a place that you want, not just because one is available. Please take your time and don't feel rushed to leave here. Our home is your home and you will always be welcomed here."

They smile and Gai stands up and says, "Lee, take notice, those are the words of a true friend. Kakashi and Sakura-chan deserve our gratitude for their hospitality."

"Hai, Gai sensei! To show my gratitude I will complete the rest of the cleaning of the garden and courtyard today."

I chuckle at his energetic response and tell him that he should first finish his breakfast.

Lee smiles and says, "Hai, Sakura-chan."

Naruto looks at the food and says, "Sakura-chan this looks so good but there is no ramen!"

"Baka! You can't eat ramen for breakfast! Now eat this, it is healthy for you and will keep you full until lunchtime."

Kakashi gives him a look and then says, "I take it that you will not insult my wife by not tasting the food that she prepared for you, right Naruto?"

I felt that he sent a miniscule amount of intimidating chakra in his specific direction and I could see Naruto visibly sweat drop. "Y-yes Kaka-sensei, I… I was just making an observation, I meant no disrespect, right Sakura-chan?!"

I laugh at my brother's antics and see Sasuke smirk in his direction.

Sasuke raises his eyes to meet mine and says, "Sakura… Thank you."

I nod at him and continue to finish my breakfast.

When we are done Lee and Gai-senpai take the dishes to the kitchen to clean while most of us get ready to finish working on the house.

Yamato-taichou and Sai were at the end of the house finishing some structural beams that would support the roof and withstand any problems imposed by the elements.

Lee had cleared all of the weeds in the garden and began cleaning the water garden as well.

Kakashi and I were on the roof fixing some trouble spots when I see Sasuke take all of the overgrown weeds and tree trimmings that Lee had cleared and effectively burn them with a small katon jutsu. Naruto then used some of his water jutsus that he learned from Jiraiya to extinguish the embers.

I looked at Kakashi and he said to me in a whisper, "I think he is doing well interacting with others while he is working or doing something physical. I think I have an idea of how to get him to talk but I won't use it until I know he is ready."

I nod at him and continue our work on the roof.

By lunchtime, we all decide to eat our bento lunches, courtesy of Choji and his family, outside in the recently cleaned garden.

The trees gave us enough shade and the breeze felt good on the hot day.

We got back to work and managed to finish the majority of all of the living areas in the estate. Kakashi told them that the other parts of the estate didn't need to be fixed right now since we wouldn't be using them, and the rest were just storage rooms.

We were glad to have finished as quickly as we did and I thanked everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of their help.

Yamato-taichou said to me, "Sakura-chan you have healed our wounds and saved our lives many times, to the point that you exhaust your own chakra. This is the least we could do to repay you."  
He smiles at me and then says that he and Sai will be bringing a couple of their things from storage to keep in their room.

Naruto said that since he would be named Hokage in a couple of months he wouldn't have time to look for an apartment only to move back out when he takes the office and has to move to the official Hokage's living quarters. I smile at him and say he can stay as long as he likes as long as he agrees to have at least one healthy meal per day.

Tenten only brought a couple of bags from her storage unit because she is waiting for a new apartment complex that is in the process of being built. She already talked with the landlord and are in the process of going over the contract. She said she should move out within a couple of weeks.

_What she didn't say was that it also just happens to be close to the Hyuga compound. I can see why she would want to live nearby a certain teammate of hers. Her and Neji worked closely together all afternoon. _

Gai-senpai and Lee say that they found a good apartment near the training grounds but it won't be ready to move in until the end of the week.

With the influx of new shinobi's that were allied with us from the war, Konoha's housing market is booming.

I look at my husband and think that he is absolutely right, this is the second chance that many people have needed.

* * *

A/N: Longer chapter because I wanted to set up their new lives here in Konoha. Sasuke is having some coping issues and they are starting to show. With the house done Kakashi and Sasuke will have some time to train now and Sakura will be busy in the hospital and starting the plans for the medic school. Thank you prescripto13 for the awesome idea, this will actually help me move the story along! You are awesomesauce!

I know that this isn't like 'extreme makeover: home edition', because they finished a house in two days, but 1) they are shinobi and have abilities that we do not, 2) the structure of the house wasn't that bad and the foundation was good. They mainly needed to clean and patch up some spots, and 3) they received help from all of the clans so the workload was easier.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 30

* * *

Kakashi's POV

It's been two weeks since we finished our home and Sakura is almost finished putting away all the things that we brought from storage.

Gai and Lee have already left and Tenten is moving out in one week. Her and Sakura have gotten closer than before.

Hinata, Ino and Tenten are going to take her out to see a new movie tonight.

Yamato and Sai are on a mission and Naruto is busy with Tsunade-sama beginning his training before he takes over as Hokage in about five months.

That left me and Sasuke with nothing to do tonight.

Over the last couple of weeks he has been my constant shadow. We train early in the mornings and then walk around the perimeter of the estate and talk about any sort of things.

He was hesitant at first, but I continued to ask him questions when we sparred in the mornings and sometimes he let his guard down and would answer me.

He has been worried about the group of people that he was with when we first encountered him. They had to return to Sound after the war to be questioned there, so we haven't heard from them in a while.

Even though we finished fixing my family home, Sasuke never asked me when we would go and fix his.

After Gai and Lee left, Sasuke asked if he could temporarily have their old room and let Naruto stay by himself in the room that they shared. I told him that he could have their old room and he could do with it as he saw fit.

He has been locked away in that room for the last two hours and finally emerged when it was time for dinner.

"Hey Sasuke, Sakura left us some dinner, she is going out with her friends tonight. Would you like to go over some old documents that I found in my father's office after dinner?"

He looked up at me and nodded but I could tell that there was a spark of interest in his eyes.

We ate dinner in comfortable silence and then he asked me, "Sensei… do the nightmares ever stop?"

I put down my chopsticks and looked at him. His facial features were just the same as always, but his eyes told a different story. He hadn't been able to sleep for some time now and I had a feeling that it might have been a contributing factor in him choosing to move out of the room he shared with Naruto.

_Sasuke never wanted to look weak in front of Naruto and would only open up to me when we were alone and he felt safe._

I shook my head and told him, "Sasuke I'm not going to lie to you, the nightmares can continue for years. Kami knows that I sometimes still get them, but to tell you the truth, since Sakura and I have been together we have been able to keep each other's nightmares at bay. You might continue to have these nightmares because you loved that person so much that your mind has such a strong reaction. I go and talk with my lost loved ones everyday, I think if one remembers them they truly have never left and the pain is eased little by little. Finding peace is something that is hard but not impossible."

He nods and then looks down at his plate and says, "I never got to say goodbye to any of them, and the one person who in his own way tried to protect me from this… loved me until his dying breath even though I hated him for so long."

"Sasuke that line between love and hate is very thin and many factors can sometimes blur it, but I believe that your driving force has always been love, a bit misdirected and slightly twisted but love nonetheless. If you didn't love your family so much, why would you have been driven to hate your brother so much that it drove you to a final match? Why would his love for you drive him to protect you in his own twisted way? Why would his final hour hurt you so much that you turned that hate you supposedly had for him back into love? Sasuke… I can't tell you what to feel, I can help you work through your emotions. It is a hard path many do not take, but it can be done. A friend that sacrificed so much for me taught me that. I hated my father for something that he did out of love for his fellow shinobi and those same shinobi that he loved so much, turned his back on him. It can be a vicious cycle, but accepting some things and letting go of others does help. I can help you if you let me… I can ease some of those emotions to help you think things through logically."

He nods and then says, "Sensei… please… I just want the screams to stop. I… I can't go back and… see them lying there… I can't see his smile as he said his goodbye to me. It hurts too much. I haven't slept for days now."

I walked up to him my intent clear as I raised my hands in a unthreatening way towards him and gave him enough time to stop me. When he didn't move and simply looked up at me, I gathered some white chakra and pressed my fingertips into his temples. His body relaxed and slumped on the table. I grabbed him before his head hit the table and I took him to his room.

I placed him on the futon and sat next to him.

He looked relaxed with the chakra I had just infused into him, the stress lines that began to mark his face relaxed and he fell into a deep sleep. What I did is not like Sakura's sleeping jutsu, but I filled it with feelings of comfort and safety.

I didn't want him to have another nightmare and ruin the peace I just passed on to him, so I went to my room and brought out a box that had some old pictures that my dad had kept in his office. I went back to Sasuke's room in case he woke up or had another nightmare.

He was still sleeping soundly so I began to look through the pictures.

They were all mixed up. Some of them were from my mother when she was younger and some when she began to date dad. I tried to chronologically organize them by what appeared to be her age. The last picture at the bottom of the box was a copy of the wedding registry that the Hokage had. My parents along with Sasuke's parents stood smiling for the camera.

I looked through all the pictures again and noticed that Mikoto-san was in many pictures with my mother. I assume that they were close friends because she was in about 85% of all the pictures of my mother's youth. They both looked like they had a close relationship. There was this one picture that showed them in the park having a picnic. My mother and Mikoto-san were in the center with dad and Fugaku-san flanking them.

Now that I really looked closely at the pictures, my mother looks to be a couple of years older than Mikoto-san but their relationship is still obviously close.

I take out a small bound book that I found in the box and start flipping through the pages. It looked to be regular clan archives, but a picture fell out of it and I saw my mother dressed in full kunoichi gear along with a younger girl who had the trademark Uchiha hair and facial features teaching her to use fans. The fans that my mother had looked hard and steel like, while the young Uchiha girl's looked to be made of wood. My mother's lightning affinity could be passed down through those fans and strike much like I can charge my blades with my chidori.

This young Uchiha girl must have been able to use the wind element… Now that I think about it wind elements strengthen fire elements when used in combinations attacks, such as Naruto's wind affinity compliments Sasuke's fire nature.

_Kami-sama. The fans… the statues with our clan emblems… Mikoto-san is the girl in this picture. No wonder their first child was born a prodigy. _

Itachi probably had the predisposition to have the use of both elements to strengthen his fire nature as well, all of this coupled with his natural genius made him one of, if not the best skilled shinobi to come from the Uchiha clan. It had always been known that Uchiha Itachi was the youngest to execute a perfect katon great fireball technique and his skill even landed him in my ANBU team years ago.

_Oh Itachi, how I failed you too._

Sasuke began to stir so I gently sent some more chakra and he relaxed into the pillow once more and slept for another hour.

During said hour I arranged all the pictures in chronological order on Sasuke's desk and wrote him a note explaining my thoughts on our mother's relationship.

I left his room and then went outside to go and look at the statue in the garden.

_Mom are you sending me this as a sign that it will be ok between me and Sasuke?_

I began to formulate a plan to help Sasuke cope with his loss, and if my mother left this statue to be sign of our clan's previous friendship then I would have to trust in her guidance.

* * *

Sakura's POV

It had been a long time since we were able to have a girls night out. Ino usually wanted to go out to dance clubs but since we got back from the war, she calmed down a bit… who am I kidding she calmed down a lot! She wanted to watch a movie and then go home and just have take out.

We went along with her plan and I am now having to hear her go on and on about Sai.

Yup, they recently started dating and since he was out on a mission she was naturally worried about him.

_I wanted to tell her that I would know immediately if he was injured and be able to heal him enough to get to safety, but Tsunade-sama did not allow for no one else to know about the seals placed on my brothers._

When Tenten and I finally left Ino's house she began telling me about how her and Neji were getting closer together. They hadn't brought up their relationship with the clan yet, because they wanted things to settle down first with Naruto and Hinata.

Tenten looked up at me and said, "You know, when Naruto become Hokage and his relationship with Hinata continues as it is, Hiashi-sama might reconsider Neji's future. The Hyuga's would be ecstatic if their clan heir eventually married the Hokage. So maybe they might be lenient with who Neji can date, if not, we would have to wait until Hinata takes over as head of the clan to make those changes."

I smile at her and give her a reassuring hug, "Tenten, I know that baka of a brother that I have will in fact change the system that we operate here in Konoha. He might not be able to get rid of the clans, but the clan heirs have his full support."

We continued to walk towards our house when she asked me about the medic school, "So how are you going to manage with the hospital and a teaching position in the school. I thought that Kakashi and you wanted to start a family?"

"Hai, we will… we will… Things are still settling down and Sasuke is Kakashi's responsibility now. I mean it's not like I'm using birth control and if I were to get pregnant, we will both be happy."

She grins in my direction and then says, "You know I was beginning to think that you guys hadn't consummated the marriage since we never hear anything coming out of your room."

"Tenten! Don't tell me you guys are eavesdropping on us?"  
"Of course not, but we are shinobi and can hear anything… Wait a minute…. He places a silencing jutsu around your room, huh?"

I don't answer but my blush gives me away.

_If they only knew what our room sounds like in the middle of the night._

"You know Naruto keeps saying that Kakashi-san doesn't do anything with you because he is afraid of all of your 'brothers' being in the same house as you."

"That baka! He can be so dense sometimes."

"I mean Kakashi-san is going to be the head of ANBU."

I look at her completely in surprise, this was news to me and to Kakashi. He thought that he was just going to be in charge of ANBU training.

She notices my surprise and then sheepishly says, "Sorry Sakura, I thought Naruto had already told the both of you."

I shake my head and tell her, "Don't worry Tenten."

We get to the house and I notice that it is quiet but I can feel both Kakashi and Sasuke's chakra signatures inside.

Tenten silently goes into her room and I head towards the my room.

Kakashi had been in the adjacent study looking over some scrolls.

I head towards the bathroom and change and when I come out Kakashi is leaning on the door frame looking tempting with his pajama bottoms loosely hanging off of his hips.

"Like what you see?" he tells me with a sinfully seductive voice.

The only thing I can do is lick my lips in anticipation.

His response was immediate and he flashes to my side and picks me up to carry me to our bed.

I see him fly through some seals and I know that he just put another silencing jutsu around the room.

I begin to laugh and he looks at me with playful questioning eyes.

I tell him what Tenten told me about us not consummating our marriage because of the lack of noise coming from our room and he begins to chuckle lightly

"Do you not want the jutsu then? I refuse to have anyone hear how you scream my name all through the night."

I blush at his words and say, "Of course I want you to have the jutsu!"

"Good, because right now I am the feisty and impatient one."  
I grin at him and then slowly lick his bottom lip and pull his hair a bit.

His response is immediate and our lovemaking is passionate and urgent.

When we both finally reach our release we both lay on the bed completely spent.

Kashi holds me close and kisses my forehead.

I look up at him and I ask him, "Kashi, Tenten also asked me if you knew that Naruto was going to make you head of ANBU."

His eyes widen a bit and he shook his head no.

"He hasn't talked to me yet, Tsunade-sama and Naruto have been busy with paperwork all week. She is trying to show him the ropes before he takes over."

I smile at him and we both begin to get dressed. I had a morning shift in the hospital and if I slept nude with Kakashi, we would never get to sleep.

We are about to fall asleep when we hear a knocking at our door and a flare of chakra announcing an ANBU guard outside. Kakashi and I both run towards the door and when we open it the ANBU hands me a scroll and says that it is urgent. I open the seal and drop the scroll in horror. It takes me a second to process what it says and I form some seals and disappear in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I see the scroll fall to the ground as Sakura disappears from our home. I pick up the scroll and read, _"Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san were exposed to a toxin from a scroll that they received earlier this afternoon. They just came into the hospital 5 min ago. They have just begun to show signs and symptoms of poisoning, it seems to be a powerful and slow acting toxin."_

I think of several scenarios involving an attempt at the life of the Hokage, and all of them give me a sense of dread. The shinobi nations had reached a peaceful outcome, and the relationships with other nins around the country had improved.

Kami...

_Tsunade-sama, Shizune, the baby…_

I grab my shirt and mask and disappear to the hospital.

* * *

A/N: So I want to thank all the people who have reviewed. I really truly appreciate it so much. Please review! I really read all of your reviews and take into consideration any suggestions that any might have on the story, from here on out I am pretty much making this up day-to-day, and only have a loose outline of what I think will happen. The only thing I have made up my mind on is the ending but that is still a ways off. Sorry for the cliffhanger!


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 31

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I appear in the hospital in a puff of smoke and I am immediately in the midst of chaos.

There are nurses and medics running all over the place. I can see flashes of pink as Sakura is taking charge, telling medics what to do and nurses what to bring. Her look is pained but with fierce concentration.

There is a commotion to my left and I see four ANBU guards attempting to restrain Genma who is screaming at the top of his lungs.

_Shizune… their baby…_

I flash to his side and hit him with as much white chakra that I can, to effectively relax and calm the entire floor of medics.

Sakura looks my way and thanks me because the chaos is now at least controlled and her medics and nurses can focus. Genma slumps to the ground and buries his head in his hands.

I kneel next to him and wrap an arm around his shoulders. He is still looking down but I can feel his despair and hurt emanating from him.

"I… I… can't protect them from this… not from something that I can't see. Shizune… our baby… I'd give my life for them… and I… can't even do… anything!"

He is suddenly wracked by uncontrollable sobs and I help him get up to take him into a nearby room.

"Genma, look at me!" I sit him in a nearby chair and push him back slightly so he could face me.

"Sakura is there, do you think that she will give up trying to save them… Them… they are her family… she will never give up!"

There is a spark of hope in his eyes and he nods sharply as my words sink in.

"I need to find some people and begin to investigate this. I need for you to try to keep it together, it will not help Sakura to see you panicking. Shizune is strong and she is a poisons expert, she should have some sort of immunity to many poisons in her systems. Let them work and figure this out. I will be right outside, ok?"

He nods and then starts doing something that I never saw him do before, _he prayed._

I said a prayer under my breath as well and walked outside.

I got two ANBU guards and said to them, "Find Naruto-sama, bring him here now. I need Hyuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino to help run the rest of the hospital while Sakura is working on Hokage-sama and Shizune-san. The documents in question are to be quarantined and the Hokage's office is not to be disturbed until I am certain that there is no further threat." I look at the other two ANBU guards and tell them, "Close the gates, no one is to enter or leave Konoha until further notice, get me a log of all incoming and outgoing scrolls from the village. No other country is to find out about this until I say so."

At that moment another ANBU appeared and bowed slightly to me, "Kakashi-sama, the elders wish to see you."

I curse inwardly but I know that I must face them, but I need Naruto here first.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I get to the hospital and see one of my worst nightmares, my shishou... the closest thing I have to a mother, on a stretcher being brought into an exam room.

Shizune, my sister, right behind her in a similar state.

The medics are panicking, I can see it in their eyes.

I take control of the room and start handing out orders left and right.

I head over to my shishou and begin to let my chakra flow into her assessing her situation. She opens her eyes and then whispers, "Go to Shizune first... she can't use her chakra but she is forming a shield around the baby. I can hold out a little longer. She needs you first."

I rush to Shizune and see her concentrating what little chakra she can use to protect the baby inside her. I place my hands over her and have inner Sakura keep hold of the shield that she already created. I look down at my sister and gently tell her to let go.

Her exhaustion is evident and she begins to fall asleep as the stress is taking her over.

My chakra began to search for the poison and the medics had already brought me the things that I needed to extract the poison.

Her body had already been fighting the effects and it seemed that Shizune had a bit of immunity to it as her vital organs were yet to be affected. She was a strong person but she had used her strength to protect her baby and the poison was beginning to seep into her system.

It had not taken root yet and begin the destructive process, but it did almost exhaust all of her chakra.

As I was starting to extract the poisons I felt Kakashi's white chakra flow to everyone in the floor. There was a sense of calm and control as everyone focused and their panic evaporated.

I look in his direction through the small windows in the swinging doors and caught sight of his gaze. I thanked him with a simple look and began to focus once more.

Shizune's pulse was there but it was thready at best. My chakra began to concentrate in her heart and I began the intricate process of removing any trace of poison from her body.

As I extracted the poison I told the medics to begin to analyse it immediately.

Hinata came in a bit startled by what was going on but she nodded in my direction once she saw who I was working on. The look of surprise turned into one of determination.

Hinata I can't separate control from both Inner Sakura and my chakra. I have to keep Inner Sakura's chakra forming a protective barrier around the baby."

"Baby…" Hinata's eyes widened and then she said, "Sakura I will take care of Tsunade-sama as best I can until you can join me once you finish with Shizune-san. I know that you will be able to save her and her… her baby."

The eyes of a loyal and determined kunoichi were now focused on my shishou.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Naruto and Hinata show up at once and I motioned for Hinata to go into the room that Sakura was in. Ino came in a bit after and I sent her towards the main part of the hospital to take charge. Naruto was just taking in the situation and I pulled him aside to a room. I placed a silencing jutsu and look at him.

"Naruto, there was an attempt at the life of the Hokage. She is in there with Shizune suffering from a poison that was laced on a scroll."

His eyes widen at my words but he remains silent, "Naruto I need you to tell me what you did today with Tsunade-sama, did you touch any scrolls and start feeling ill afterwards?"

He shakes his head.

"Where were you all of this afternoon?"

"Baa-chan let me have the afternoon off. We had gone over a lot of meaningless scrolls this morning, so she let me go early…"

He is still looking off towards the wall across from us, "We… we have to do something!"

"Naruto I have already taken care of that. I closed the gates to Konoha and all messages are to come through me. No other countries are to be informed until we have more information. We cannot be sure who the real target was until we investigate."

He nods in my direction.

I tell him that the council wishes to speak to us.

"Kaka-sensei, you seem to control situations like this better than I can… maybe you should go…"

I push him roughly into the wall and almost growl at him.

"Naruto, you _will_ be the next Hokage. You _will_ take control of this situation and you _will_ keep your shit together. I believe in you and you must show your strength to others in their time of need. Genma is in the other room losing his mind right now and I need you to be there for all of Konoha. You are the one that everyone will look towards."

"But… You have this under control… I just… I don't know…"  
I see the hint of uncertainty in his eyes, he reminds me of when he was little before he entered the academy. That is the look of a lost little boy without the guidance of his parents.

I soften my grip on his collar and say, "Naruto, you will learn how to control your emotions and be the pillar of strength for all the shinobi in Konoha, I will always be there for you, to advise you on how to proceed until you no longer need me."

He nods and then says, "How are they?"

I shake my head and I say, "I don't know… Sakura might let us in, but you have to promise not to lose control. She has to concentrate to save Tsunade-sama, Shizune and her baby's life."

"Her baby… Shizune-san is pregnant?"

I nod and his gaze darkens but then focuses once more.

"Take me to them."

We both walk out of the room and then head towards the room where they were working on Tsunade-sama and Shizune were.

Naruto walks into the room confident and on a mission.

All of the medics take notice of his commanding presence and he looks at Hinata who is working on Tsunade-sama, "Baa-chan you need to get better but I will be taking over from here and make sure we get to the bottom of this. When you get better we will finish that boring paperwork together."

He walks over to where Sakura is working on Shizune and he kneels by her and whispers, "Shizune-san, I will make sure that I find out who dared to endanger you and your baby and I will make them pay. Believe it!"

He stands and then looks at Hinata and Sakura, "I entrust them to your capable hands, inform me of their process, I have a council to deal with and an investigation to conduct."

He walks out of the room and the shinobi that were present stood a bit straighter as he passed them. A sense of admiration filled the hall.

Naruto pulled two ANBU to the side, "You will keep me up to date on their progress but especially if Sakura or Hinata are getting low on chakra. Inform me immediately if that happens, even if it means interrupting anything that I might be doing, no exceptions! I will come and replenish their chakra with my own if need be."

Both ANBU responded with a bow and a 'Hai, Naruto-sama'.

Naruto then walked into the room where Genma was in and he knelt next to him and said, "Genma, Sakura-chan is taking care of Shizune and your baby, I believe in her and she will never give up. I will get to the bottom of this and personally take care of it."

"Hai, Naruto-sama." He goes back to praying and doesn't say another word. His tears say enough for the both of us.

We both head back out to deal with the council.

As we walk into the council chambers door, the room immediately is silenced.

Homura Mitokado says, "What are you doing here, we asked for Kakashi-san's presence, not yours."

"I do apologize for you believing that I, Uzumaki Naruto would ever leave my beloved village in their time of need. I, have been named the Rokudaime Hokage by Tsunade-sama herself and have the jonin vote. As of right now I will be taking over Tsunade-sama's duties until she makes a full recovery, when she does I will step down until my official inauguration in a couple of months as planned. Kakashi-san has advised me on how to proceed and the proper protocols have been set in motion. He will also continue to be my advisor and my second in command until Tsunade-sama recovers. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an investigation to conduct and a village to run."

His aura was commanding and demanded respect from all present, just like Minato-sensei. We bowed slightly to the council and walked out of the room.

We head towards the Hokage tower to begin our investigation.

* * *

A/N: Sorry had to cut it a bit short. I have tons of assignments due tomorrow and I need to finish them, but I wanted to continue to update everyday for you guys.

I love how Kakashi can take charge of a situation like this yet, make sure that Naruto is given full credit for it. I know its selfless of him, but he wants and believes in Naruto to be the driving force for the future. Kakashi could have been placed as leader for the time being but he gave Naruto the push that he needed to face the council and make his views known. This will gain the respect of many.

It was heartbreaking to write Genma this hurt over his family, but I am glad that Shizune could offer her baby some protection against the poison.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 32

* * *

Sakura's POV

I have worked on extracting the poisons from Shizune for the last 4 hours and I know that Hinata is about to hit her limit.

I can tell by the sweat dripping from her face and concentrated look in her eyes that fought to stay steady.

I had to make sure that I went through all of Shizune's organs and verify that all the poison had been extracted from her.

After that, I would have to venture into the baby's own developing system and make sure that there were no complications.

The baby's system would be difficult because it was still in development and I needed extreme concentration for that task.

Hinata's chakra is depleting fast so I nod at the ANBU guard at the door to summon Naruto.

He disappears in an instant, and returns in a couple of minutes accompanied by two separate people whose chakra signatures I immediately recognize.

Naruto immediately can notice the change of energy in the air and quietly walks up to Hinata as not to break her concentration. She whispers to him, "Naruto-kun, I am not strong enough… I don't have enough chakra…"

"Don't worry, I am here and I will help you… Always."

He stands in front of her, on the other side of Tsunade-sama, and lays his hands over hers effectively passing on his chakra through her. Hinata's hands begin to glow brighter and then her whole body is enveloped in Naruto's chakra cloak.

He maintains the cloak around her as he walks towards me and then says, "Sakura-chan how are you doing?"  
I am completely concentrated but I answer, "Naruto, Inner Sakura and I are working to remove all traces of the poison but I am going to need to concentrate to examine the developing chakra pathways of the baby to make sure that no amount of poison seeped into the baby's vital organs. It is going to be extremely delicate and I will need all the chakra that I can get."

Kakashi understands what I am saying, and the part that I am also not vocalizing, and then orders everyone that is not essential to my medic team out of the entire floor. There will be no one to disturb me as I prepare for the delicate procedure.

When Kakashi comes back in the room he says, "Love, will you allow Genma to be by Shizune's side during the procedure?"

I couldn't fathom being away from Kakashi in his time of need, so having Genma-san suffer alone outside would be cruel.

_Flashes of losing Kakashi that night come to my mind and I know the toll that doubt and uncertainty can have on the soul._

I nod in his direction and watch as Genma-san silently walks in with Kakashi holding on to his shoulder.

_His eyes are bloodshot and swollen and it looked like he aged overnight._

His pained expression is kept in check by the constant flow of white chakra being emitted by Kakashi at his side.

He kneels down at the head of the bed where Shizune lies and I tell him, "I have her asleep so she won't move and she can stay as relaxed as possible as I go through her tissues. She is ok, I have taken out all the poison from her body, but I will have to take down the shield that she put up as a barrier for the baby and examine your child's system. I need to concentrate, no one is to disturb me while I assess your child. I will not fail at this Genma-san, this is my family that we are talking about."

He looks at me with hope, gratitude, apprehension, and slight fear in his eyes but he says no louder than a whisper, "I have complete faith in you, Sakura."

Naruto is by my side once more and then begins to cloak me in his chakra and I can immediately feel my chakra stores replenished.

I begin to lower the barrier of the shield around the womb and then gently begin to intricately search the chakra pathways of the baby.

It is a painstaking process and it takes me close to 3 hours to complete a thorough assessment of each developing cell and tissue in the tiny body.

As I finish I look down at Genma-san whose face showed the unshed tears in his eyes and give him a warm smile.

"Genma-san, you can relax now. Your family is safe, Shizune and the baby are fine.

His tears spill over and he gets up to embrace me.

"Thank you Sakura, I… I will never forget this."

He lets go of me and he begins to softly kiss Shizune on her forehead and then places his hands on her lower abdomen and whispers to his baby, "Daddy is here and will never let you go." He looks up at me and then continues to talk to his unborn child, "Auntie Sakura will always be here to protect you too."

He places a kiss on Shizune's stomach and then goes to Kakashi and gives him an unexpected hug. I hear him whisper to him, "Thanks... thanks for keeping me together through all of this."

My husband nods and then comes to my side.

"Sakura are you ok, do you need to rest?"

"No, I need to help Hinata and check on Tsunade-sama."  
I stand next to Hinata and begin to check Tsunade-sama's status.

Hinata has done a wonderful job and managed remove 80% of the poison in her system.

Naruto stands behind the both of us and then places his hands on our shoulders and continues to pour forth his chakra as we finish removing the poison from Tsunade-sama's body.

When we finish they are taken to recovery rooms and I place a standing order to all medics and nurses that I am in charge of their progress and they are not to speak with anyone other than Naruto, Kakashi or myself on their recovery.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

As Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san are taken to their rooms I instruct a squad of ANBU to guard the doors to their rooms and another squad to guard the outside perimeter of the hospital.

Naruto took Hinata back to the Hyuga compound to recover from the ordeal.

I wait for Sakura to finish giving her orders for the rest of the medics left and when I see that she is at the verge of exhaustion, I flash to her side, pick her up and then transport us back to our home.

As I carry her into our bedroom, she is already asleep in my arms.

I lay her on the bed gently and pull up the blanket to cover her. I left her a note telling her that I would be up at the Hokage tower investigating with Naruto.

Naruto is waiting for me in the living room talking with Sasuke about todays events.

I see the look on Sasuke's face as he is processing the information. He speaks up, "But dobe, none of this makes sense. Shizune is a poison's expert, and Tsunade-sama is the best medic in the world, this type of poison would have to be something that is strong enough to take both extremely formidable shinobi down, just by touching the scroll. Was there a seal around the scroll? Were the messengers affected as well?"

_I have always admired the analytical mind of the Uchiha._

Itachi was one of the best critical thinkers in all of Fire country, so it did not surprise me that Sasuke would take after his brother.

I walk up to them and then say, "Naruto, I think that we should have Sasuke accompany us. We need to get Kiba and Neji to also come with us. If this poison could take those two down, we need to proceed with caution. Naruto, I know that you would want to speak with Gaara-sama about this but we need to wait until the poison analysis is complete before we can bring in any other help from the other allied countries. Right now is not a time to look vulnerable."

Naruto is about to retort back, but Sasuke says, "Naruto, there is always the possibility that you were the intended target."

There is a silence in the room and Sasuke just vocalized what I feared from the beginning.

Naruto begins to shake with fury, "Who would injure them in order to get to me?!"

I try to calm him down but I tell him, "Naruto, you are a public figure who saved thousands, you are a target more so now than before. Being named the next Hokage is also a reason why some might want to hurt you."

Sasuke agrees with me and then Naruto says, "Ok, let's go… we need to get to the bottom of this."

We arrive at the tower and Kiba and Neji are summoned.

I sat there looking over the message logs and cannot seem to find any discrepancies.

_Whoever did this, had covered their tracks well._

The aviary logs seemed normal and I began to wonder who would have a motive to kill either Naruto or Tsunade-sama herself.

My mind made mental lists that kept shifting as I crossed out suspects and added others.

_I need to talk to Shikamaru…_

I stand up and go towards the doors to have someone summon Shikamaru.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I wake up and notice the note that Kakashi left for me on the pillow next to me.

I get dressed and go into the kitchen to grab some food and pack some lunches.

I stop by the Hokage tower and head up the steps towards Kakashi's chakra signature.

I hand him the lunches that I prepared for him and the guys and sit on his lap.

"Kashi, what is going on? Have you guys found anything out yet?"  
I kiss her forehead and shake my head, "No, love we are still investigating. We are going over all possible scenarios and once Shikamaru gets here we will investigate the Hokage's office."

"Please love, be careful. This poison is still being analysed so we are not sure of its components. I honestly think that it is transmitted through the skin so, for it to be able to bring down Shizune and my shishou, it has to be very powerful. I don't think I had as much trouble with this since I dealt with Sasori's poison."

I looked over and I saw Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba and Neji waiting for Shikamaru to come in.

They must have heard what I said about the poison because some of their faces darkened at the mention of Sasori's name.

I get up and caress the masked cheek of my husband and tell him that I will be at the hospital.

Shikamaru arrives just as I am about to leave and he nods in my direction.

I head down to the hospital and go straight to see my shishou and Shizune.

The floor that they are in is heavily guarded and no one is allowed to go in without proper clearance.

When I pull out my identification the ANBU guard stops me and bows, "Sakura-sama that is not necessary, please inform us if there is anything that you might need."

I approach their room and the other ANBU guard bows and opens the door for me.

They both share the same hospital suite so we can protect them better and if need be I can treat both at the same time.  
Shizune is still asleep but her body is getting back to normal.

Tsunade-sama, however, is clearly still fighting the prolonged effects of the poison. Genma-san is asleep on the chair next to Shizune, his hand holding hers in her sleep.

I try not to disturb any of them and begin to send more healing chakra into both of their systems.

I quietly leave the room and ask the nurses to bring Genma-san a cot and some breakfast when he gets up.

They are to come get me once Shizune wakes up.

I have a deep fear that my shishou must have gotten the full impact of the poison herself and might not wake up for some time.

I head down to the lab to help the medics there with the analyzing of the toxic compounds.

* * *

A/N: Again sorry for so short of chapter, I am trying really hard to keep up the momentum of the story and stop at appropriate times. Plus finals are around the corner and I am trying to keep up with them too.

To all of you guys that review, I just want to say that I love you guys. Even if I have a bad or extremely busy day, your reviews motivate me to continue posting everyday!

Any guesses where the attack is coming from, or from who?


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 33

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I watched Sakura leave towards the hospital and I motion for Shikamaru to come over to where I am.

I fill him in with all the events that occurred over the last 12 hours or so and then proceed to ask him what his thoughts are.

I let him sit there for a while thinking while I go to the guys and hand them the lunches that Sakura brought. None of us had eaten anything so it was welcomed by everyone.

A while later an ANBU guard showed up and bowed towards me, "Kakashi-sama…"

I move over to where he is and he leans forward and gives me a report on the situation at the hospital.

"Sakura-sama has evaluated both Hokage-sama and Shizune-san. Her prognosis is favorable for both. She is currently at the lab analyzing the poison."

"Good, keep me up to date. Do not let her out of your sight. Have you reinforced the seals I placed in their room and my wife's office?"

"Hai, Kakashi-sama, they are strong and there seems to be no indication of anyone tampering since you placed them."

"I am expecting a couple of ANBU teams to return from missions. When they get here keep them at the gate and I will personally verify identities of anyone coming in from missions."

He bows and before disappearing says, "Hai, Kakashi-sama."

I walk back to Shikamaru, "So I guess that Naruto-sama has given you the position?"

I raise an eyebrow, "I have been informed through other means."

Shikamaru shakes his head, "I told him to go to you directly, let me guess… you heard it through the gossip circle?"

"Something like that…"

"How troublesome…"

We go and meet the guys that are standing eating and head towards the room opposite the Hokage's office.

Shikamaru looks at everyone present.

"So Kakashi-senpai, I know why you have asked each one of them to be here, but… no offence Sasuke, what is he doing here?"

I stand next to Sasuke and I say in an authoritative voice, "I am responsible for Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto-sama has approved of his presence and involvement in this situation. As acting Hokage, I know that you will respect his wishes."

Shikamaru raises his hands in defeat and then begins to tell us about his plan.

"There are many possibilities in this situation but I am inclined to believe is that there is an outside force operating within the walls of Konoha, or it is an inside job."

There is silence in the room at the implications of a possible traitor in our midst.

I can feel Sasuke tense at the insinuation made.

I charge some white chakra in my index finger and touch his forearm. He looks down but I can feel him relax and his doubt evaporates.

Shikamaru continues, "It is imperative that we get ahold of the document in question and make sure that there is no other threats in the office. If a document like that can pass on through and make it onto the desk of our Hokage we need to seriously think about what we are currently doing. Once we find out the type of poison it is then we can better prepare to enter the room. For now we will evaluate from afar. Neji, Kiba, and Sasuke I need for you to use your Kekkei Genkai to evaluate the room for further threats. If anything seems off, don't hesitate to inform us. Naruto-sama, we will need for you to take consider this as a possible declaration of war or an isolated attempt at your or Tsunade-sama's life."

Naruto nods understanding the consequences of either action towards the entire village.

Shikamaru and the guys stand up and begin to approach the door of the Hokage's office.

Another ANBU guard shows up and bows to us, "Kakashi-sama, a team of ANBU is at the gates waiting for your approval to enter the village."

I nod and tell him that I will be there shortly.

With that he disappears again and Naruto walks up to me, "So Kaka-sensei, I meant to tell you but I guess you already found out, huh?"

He rubs the back of his head in a nervous gesture but I nod and say, "Naruto-sama, you have the power to appoint any shinobi to any position you so choose. If I am needed in ANBU again, as well as being your advisor, my job is to fulfill that duty to my village."

He walks over to the open window and says, "You know that is something that I had talked about with Baa-chan a couple of weeks ago., I know that you are one of our strongest shinobi and Konoha needs your leadership now. I just figured we could use those skills in ANBU while keeping you and Sakura within Konoha and out of as much trouble as we can."

I hop up on the window sill and then say, "Naruto-sama, a Hokage has to make some difficult decisions at times, but this is not one of them. I am honored to continue to serve my village with my fellow ANBU comrades."

He smiles and then says, "Ok, ok… I will keep an eye on teme until you get back."

I smile back at him and then head towards the gates after I make a quick stop at ANBU headquarters.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I distinguished some of the properties in the poison and my stomach begins to tie in knots.

_How could this be? No wonder this was so strong…_

So far I found 29 identifiable poison variations but they were all from around all five shinobi countries.

_This is bad… I need to get to Kakashi and Shikamaru. They need to know…_

I make the seals and head back to the Hokage tower where I find everyone except Kakashi.

Naruto tells me that he is at the gates with some ANBU and then I remember that Yamato-taichou and Sai where coming back today.

I saw that the guys were about to investigate the room when I asked them to hold off while I informed them in what I have found so far.

Shikamaru goes into the room across the hall and sits on the table waiting for me to continue.

"Guys I don't know how to say this… but so far I have found 29 different properties of different poisons from all over the five shinobi nations. I am not finished analysing but I am afraid that there might be more. It is a miracle that Shizune and Hokage-sama survived."

Kiba-kun asked, "How are they doing Sakura?"  
I smile at him, "They are doing better, but they are still unconscious, that poison began to drain their chakra when it began to attack the vital organs. Shizune should make a full recovery in about a week, but Tsunade-sama took the brunt of it. I imagined that she handled the scroll for a longer amount of time. She might be out for a couple of weeks just building up more chakra."

Shikamaru sighs, "How troublesome… what you are saying is that we cannot investigate the office until the analysis is complete and you have an antidote or if anyone bloody remembers the damn scroll."

Realization dawned on him and he asked for someone to summon Ino.

"Naruto-sama, where you there the day that this happened to Tsunade-sama?"

"Yeah but there were so many scrolls that I cannot remember everything that was there. Plus, Baa-chan let me leave early so I don't even know if I saw it or was exposed to it before I left for the day."

Shikamaru says, "Well it is worth a try, Ino-chan will have to enter your subconscious to see if she can see anything out of the normal while in your mindscape."

Naruto raises his eyebrows but then furrows them once more, "Shikamaru, I need to get Kurama ready before I let Ino-chan in my head. He might not be accommodating to anyone, but send for her nonetheless."

He sat down by the window and began to meditate.

I walk out to the hallway and plan to go back to the lab, when Sasuke grabs my wrist and says, "Sakura, I will help in any way I can to get to the bottom of this. I might not feel completely at ease in Konoha at this time, and some people have not accepted my presence here, but it is my home and my struggles to protect it begin now."

His eyes have soften since the day that he left with so much anger in his heart but they have not lost their intensity. He squeezes my wrist and then walks back into the room we had just come out of.

_Sasuke that wall that you had around your heart is slowly giving way…_

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I arrive at the gates and the ANBU team guarding the gate stood at attention.

I walk outside the gate and look straight into the eyes of Sai and Yamato.

"Kakashi-senpai, what is going on?"

I motion for them to follow me, I tell the guards that we will go on a perimeter run and return shortly.

As we head into the trees and out of hearing distance, I stop and Yamato and Sai land silently next to me in. I tell them of all the past events and then I tell them that I am not allowing anyone in or out of Konoha until we find out what is going on.

"I am sorry to tell you guys this but I have another mission for the both of you."

Yamato gives me a slight smile, "Kakashi-senpai, I am glad that ANBU has you as its leader." He and Sai both bow their heads slightly and then say, "What are your orders, Kakashi-sama?"

I shake my head at the honorific, but continue nonetheless, "I need some people who I trust on the outside of the village until I can open the gates once more, I will put you in charge of intelligence on the outside of the village. As ANBU teams start to return I will be sending them to serve under your command. Both of you will have teams that will be running recon missions until we figure out what type of poisons we are dealing with. When we do I will regroup our forces and plan a strike to whoever is responsible for this."  
They both say in unison, "Hai, Kakashi-sama."

I hand them some supplies and the ANBU packs that I had picked up from headquarters.

They both know that they only report to either me or Naruto from here on out.

I walk up to the gates and tell my ANBU guards to keep informing me as ANBU teams return. I hand them a list of all the non-ANBU jonin and chunnin teams outside of the village.

"When they return let them in and have them report to Naruto-sama directly."

"Hai, Kakashi-sama."

I make my way back to the Hokage-tower.

Naruto is there waiting for me when I return and he informed me of Sakura's findings.

_This is not good… If there is poisons from many countries we cannot specifically pinpoint it to one source… then there is always the possibility that it is a mobile group much like the Akatsuki were._

Naruto then says, "Kaka-sensei, let's go to your new office… we need a plan to increase security."

I nod and follow him to ANBU headquarters.

Each ANBU in the building bows as we both pass by.

_I guess all of ANBU found out about my new job before I did…_

I open my new office and we both sit on the chairs in front of the desk.

"Naruto, I am going to keep Sasuke at my side. I know that this was not part of the agreement but we need his skills and I don't want the progress that I have done with him to be ruined by the mistrust of others."

He nods and then says, "I have noticed the difference when you are around, he is more open and I finally feel like my best friend is back when he is not closed off. He will have to keep his chakra suppressors on, but I will allow him to use his Sharingan to aid us, he is not allowed to use the Mangekyo Sharingan. He is still officially ranked as genin, the council will kill me themselves if I allowed a higher rank at this time."

I nod and then say to him, "I am really proud of you Naruto-sama and would follow you anywhere, as would all of your friends."

I tell him that I will have Yamato and Sai outside of Konoha running recon missions with any other ANBU teams that have come back to the village.

"I trust your judgement, sensei. Do what you believe is necessary to keep our village safe."

He heads back to the Hokage tower and I head home with a package in my hand and a mission to dig up a uniform and mask out of a box in my closet.

* * *

A/N: I love the implicit trust between Naruto and Kakashi and between Sasuke towards Kakashi. Sorry Sakura's part was so short.

My awesome reviewer prescripto13 has made some great observations and has picked up hints that I have left here and there. I like the way you think! Jen, Laurie, lilmama-the one and only, Gingerlily01, brandilynlococo thank you so much for your reviews!


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 34

* * *

Sakura's POV

I head back to the hospital and I check on Tsunade-sama and Shizune again.

I pass the ANBU guards and walk into the room.

My shishou is still asleep but her vital signs are steady.

Shizune is also asleep but Genma is at her side and is reading a book out loud to her, _well mainly to the baby_.

I smile at him and he stops and comes up to me.

"Sakura, her color is returning to normal and I can just feel that she will wake up any day now."

"I think you might be right Genma-san, her chakra pathways are getting stronger, I think she just needs to recuperate and will be right as rain in a couple of days. Your baby is growing stronger too."

He smiles at me and then sits back down to continue reading to his wife and child.

I head down to the lab and see if any other poisons have been found in the analysis.

The medics found four more and had been working on possible antidote combinations. I knew that this would be the hard part because some antidotes don't combine well with others and getting the right formulation will be extremely difficult.

I decide to stay in the lab to help and write Kakashi a quick note and have one of the ANBU guards deliver it to him.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I get home and I head straight into the closet in our bedroom and take out a box.

_It's been a while since I had to use this. _

I take out an old war torn mask and set it to the side.

A red scarf, black shirt and pants.

White armored vest and bracers.

_My ANBU uniform…_

I place all the items on the bed and sit and look at them as if they would give me the answers that I needed.

I think about my new position as head of ANBU.

_There are so many people counting on me, their deeds go unnoticed by the public, and all of their missions are classified._

I once thought that the anonymity of ANBU would help me get through the feelings I had after the death of my old team, but they only served to wreak havoc on my life.

_I almost lost myself within the ranks of ANBU. I would not let that mistake happen again._

_No shinobi that serves under my leadership will have to suffer alone as I did._

How many great shinobi had we already lost just to the breakdown of the mental pressures that this job imposes on them?

_What to do?... What to do?... Come on Hatake think this through…_

My thoughts are interrupted by a slight knocking on the door.

I open it up and an ANBU guard bows and hands me a scroll.

It's from Sakura, telling me that she will be late working in the lab tonight.

_That woman! Once she gets into something like this I will be lucky if she sits down and eats._

I make a mental note to go and get dinner for her before I go and pick her up. If I don't she will not eat, nor will she come back home to rest.

I walk into the living room and Sasuke is sitting there meditating.

When he felt my presence he looked up and asked, "Is there something going on Sensei?"

I shake my head and say, "Don't worry Sasuke I'm fine. I was wondering if you had a chance to see the pictures that I left for you in your room?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you Sensei for sharing those with me. Your mother must have been a formidable kunoichi if the Uchiha clan elders deemed her worthy of coming into the compound to teach the clan heir's intended."

_Oh yeah, I forgot. The Uchiha clan used to have arranged marriages for the clan heirs. Mikoto-san must have been betrothed to Fugaku-san since she was little._

"Well at least it looks like both of our parents shared some sort of good relationship with each other."

He nods and then says after a moment, "Seeing them… well I thank Kami that they were at least happy with each other. I am happy that my mother had a friend that could make her smile like that."

I see the pained expression in his eyes and I ask him, "So have you thought about what I said about talking to your loved ones?"

He looks up suddenly with a slight fear in his eyes, "I… I can't go back there… not just yet…"

I nod and then I open the door to the garden and motion for him to follow me.

He comes silently and we head towards the fan statue in the garden.

He looks a little puzzled but I continue to walk up to the statue.

"Come here Sasuke."

He comes to my side silently and then I pull out a kunai and hand it to him.

He takes it but still looks a bit puzzled.

"Carve their names…"

He stands there looking at the statue, then at the kunai, then finally looks at me, "But Sensei… this is your mother's…"

"Then I would believe that she would have wanted to help the son of her best friend. It's ok, I'll give you some privacy but I'll be around if you need me."

He nods and I disappear back into the house.

I step into the living room and take one of the many picture frames that Sakura put up.

There are many pictures of us, the pack, Naruto and the guys.

I take out one of the pictures of my ninken and head into Sasuke's room and get the picture where our parents are at the park.

I replace their picture in the frame and take it to the living room where Sasuke usually sits and place it on the mantel. I put some fresh flowers, incense, and candles in front of their picture.

I look outside the window and I see Sasuke slowly carving into the stone. I step onto the porch and pull out _Icha Icha_ to pretend to pass the time while I hear the quiet sobs of my student.

My mind is not even looking at the book anymore, it is completely taking in everything around me. The breeze is cool and the sounds of nature are only overpowered by some strangled sobs and quiet words of '_I'm sorry'_ or '_I wasn't strong enough'_ and '_I promise to be better_' as the last of the Uchiha clan mourns for his dead.

After Sasuke's sobs stop he slowly makes his way in my direction.

He hands me a now blunt kunai and he tells me, "I am sorry I will sharpen it for you."  
I tell him, "Keep it, and remember that this is how you carved your past but will also use it to change your future."

"Thank you Sensei."

"Sasuke, with my new job… well I want you to continue to follow me and train."

"But… I am not allowed."

I smile at him and say, "I already cleared it with our Hokage."

I hand him a package and he slowly opens it.

He takes the material in his hands and runs his fingers over the armored vest.

"I don't deserve this. I cannot dishonor this uniform when I have done nothing to earn it."

I hand him a plain unpainted mask and tell him, "You will in time, but now I need you undercover if you are to be by my side. We cannot risk exposure while we are investigating. I need you to stay close to me… I don't want anyone else insinuating that you are the cause of this and by keeping you next to me… well no one will be able to claim that you did this."  
"But…"

"Sasuke as your Sensei, and now commanding officer I am telling you that our investigation requires this of you. I will make sure that when the time is right you have your opportunity to climb up the ranks and earn the tattoo that goes with it, for now we will have you wear a long sleeve shirt to go with your uniform."

"Hn"

_The stress lines darken on his face when he is deep in thought._

I charge up some white chakra in my fingertips again and touch his arm.

His stress vanishes and then I tell him, "Go and rest. We begin ANBU training with some new recruits tomorrow."

He nods and then goes into the house, but I feel his presence linger in the living room.

I take off from the porch to go and find some dinner for me and my wife.

* * *

Sakura's POV

_I think maybe I can finish all of this by tomorrow if we can manage to integrate the x72 compound and make the proteins adhere to the molecules of the poison rain lily…_

I feel strong arms encircle my waist as they place masked kisses on the back of my neck.

"Sakura, please come with me, I brought you dinner and you are running on empty already. I can tell you are only standing out of your own sheer will."

"Mmmmm." He continues to kiss me and I melt into his embrace.

He picks me up and we go into my office.

He had already set up our dinner and I see that he bought my favorite tempura.

We finished eating and I was beginning to feel sleepy, as the exhaustion finally caught up with me.

I fight through it and ask, "How's everything else?"  
He finishes his miso soup and then says, "I begin the training of the new ANBU recruits tomorrow, I am going to need a full force if this thing takes a turn for the worst."

"So I'm guessing that you will leave early in the morning then?"  
"Yeah… Love let me take you home, you are dead on your feet."  
I only have the strength to nod as he picks me up and I fall into blissful sleep as I cuddle into him and take a deep breath of his scent.

I wake up the next morning to a note and some fresh-cut flowers on my pillow from my sweet husband telling me that he made me breakfast and left it in the oven. He also expected me to be home for dinner so that he doesn't have to go and find me in the lab again because somebody was getting impatient and feisty.

I smile at his note and then decide that I might just try out one of the Icha Icha lingerie sets if his breakfast tastes good.

I walk in to the kitchen and I am assaulted by a wonderful delicious aroma.

I pull the plate he kept in the oven to keep warm and I see that he made me an omelet and some rice porridge and bought me some sweet bean paste bread. The jasmine tea was also ready and waiting for me.

_He spoils me too much…_

I finish eating and then wash the dishes and put them up. I have a good feeling that we might make a breakthrough with the antidote today.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sasuke and I left early in the morning after he paid the statue in my garden a visit and I went to the memorial stone for a while. We met up at ANBU Headquarters and were the first ones in the ANBU training grounds.

I told him that he was to join the new recruits during training but I would keep a close eye on him and ask him to join me once the training was over.

The new recruits arrive and they all take notice that I was watching their every step.

Sasuke joined them and they all stood at attention.

I had my uniform on and my mask in place but they all seemed to know who was in charge.

Kiba had been put in charge of their initial training but I wanted to be there to see the talent that was coming in.

Kiba was wearing his dog mask on and although we wore the same animal on the mask mine was obviously different and marked up from many years of use.

_Many knew who I was, or what my title was within ANBU, even without the mask. The ones that didn't obviously kept at good breadth from me because of the way that the ANBU guards spoke and approached me._

Kiba began with the normal training regimen that I had previously approved.

There were many talented shinobi in the ranks and Sasuke was holding his own, even with his chakra suppressors. That actually was a feat on it's own.

_I was truly impressed._

As training progressed I walked into the midst of blank unpainted ANBU masks.

They all would stop or hesitate for a fraction of a second with their individual spars as I approached each group.

I got to where Sasuke was and then tapped his shoulder.

"Come with me, you will spar with me now."

We both went to the front of the groups and Kiba took a couple of steps back to give us room.

"Anything goes with the exception of genjutsu, understand?"

"Hai" Sasuke said and bowed to me and then stood in a fighting stance.

Kiba yelled "Begin!"

We both disappeared in a blur and I began to see the famed speed that Sasuke possessed.

I was going fast, not top speed but faster than when I spared with Sakura and he managed to keep up. Albeit a bit behind but he was still making chase.

He began to throw some shuriken that I dodged easily and then I countered with a set of fast, and well placed, kicks to his side before disappearing back into the tree line.

The groups had stopped their individual battles and their attention was solely on us.

Some of the ANBU from around headquarters stopped to see us and I noticed some either on the windowsills or rooftops watching our spar.

Sasuke attempted to hit me with everything he had and I had to hand it to him, he would make a formidable opponent when he was at full chakra strength.

Our spar went on for about 30 minutes and he still hadn't landed a punch on me.

I knew that he wasn't coming at me with an intent to kill and that might have been the reason he always seem to either hesitate or reconsider his next move.

I had to end this and I flexed my chakra a bit and sent a wave of acceptance and surrender to everyone on the field.

Some of the recruits were not prepared for that and some had to fall on one knee to recover from the massive amount of chakra that filled the area.

The ANBU agents on the rooftops talked among themselves and bowed in my direction before leaving or going back to their duties.

I turn around and I see Sasuke catching his breath on the ground.

I hold out my hand towards him to help him up and then say to everyone present as I take off my mask, "I am Hatake Kakashi, leader of the ANBU Black Ops Organization, when you finish your training and become official ANBU agents you will all report to either me or the Hokage. I understand that this profession, especially in this specific division can be stressful and demanding at times, but I don't ever want you to think that you are walking this path alone. I have been in your shoes and have faced some of the loses that you have. I am taking a personal interest in the well being of everyone under my command. Each one of you will be required to take specific counseling sessions and be debriefed properly before entering regular jonin rank activities. If anyone here is in need of someone to talk to please don't hesitate to come in and see me. I can help or get you the help you need. I am very pleased with what I have seen today and look forward to your continued training."

They all look in my direction and if they didn't have the masks on them, I might have seen a shocked expression at my words.

Kiba recovers first and then orders all recruits to run 20 laps around the entire village before dismissing everyone.

* * *

A/N: So now that Kakashi is head of ANBU the entire organization recognizes not only his position but his skill and reputation. Rumors and Bingo Books have never done him any justice so seeing him in action shocks some of the new recruits. Because of the respect that they have towards Kakashi's skill and position they change the honorific to sama, much like they did when Naruto took over as Hokage. Naruto and Sasuke still call him sensei because they feel that he still has many things to teach them.

I really liked writing the part of Sasuke beginning his journey towards closure. Kakashi knows how hard it can be to let go so it was fitting that he began at the statue that belonged to their mothers. I don't think that people ever took notice of the little details that he leaves for everyone, ex. notes and flowers to Sakura; setting up perimeter barriers for her in her office; having her guarded while giving her the ability to not feel suffocated or thought of as weak. He does these things for Sasuke as well, like when he place their parents picture in the living room with the things that they needed to honor their family.

BTW this chapter is a bit late because I had to watch the premiere of Attack on Titan on Toonami! It sounds way different in English and I have to admit I like it better in Japanese myself.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 35

* * *

Sakura's POV

When I get to the lab, one of the medics comes up to me and says, "Sakura-san, I believe we might have found an antidote. The research you did and the notes from Shizune-san's poison research have helped us formulate a viable serum that we could inject to anyone affected."  
I am surprised and say, "You managed to find a way to adhere the poison rain lily's molecules to the x72 compound?"

He nods and says, "Well you see, Shizune-san's notes allude to combining the natural molecules of the rain lily with an organic compound because the proteins are not compatible. They are however compatible with a strange compound only found in some of the plants in the village of Rain. We never had a reason to combine them before but we now know how to merge both proteins together."  
I felt an excitement fill me and we both headed into the lab to begin testing the antidote.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

After the training with the new recruits I head into my office where one of Sai's ink birds was waiting for me. It had a scroll with the intelligence that they had found so far.

Yamato's team had found some merchants that had been robbed of their goods on their way to Kumo. Similar reports were filed for merchants going towards Iwa, Kiri, Grass and Rain.

These people are attacking merchants of both big and small villages so as not to alert the bigger nations of a pattern. Suna and Konoha merchants haven't been targeted yet, and some of the smaller villages haven't been hit as well.

_What's the link between the robberies…_

Kiba knocks on my door and I let him in.

"Kakashi-sama the trainees have finished for today, shall we advance them to phase two?"  
"Hai, I also need for you to assemble all the ANBU team captains this afternoon. I will brief all of you of what we have found so far."  
He bows and says, "Hai, Kakashi-sama"

I turn to look out the window towards the Hokage tower and begin to think of a way that someone could approach the Hokage's office without being noticed.

Someone had to have placed the scroll on Tsunade-sama's desk, and that person must have known how to handle a poison laced scroll.

_How could the guards not sensed the presence of foreign chakra signatures…._

_Wait… Oh Hatake how could you have missed that one!_

I jump out of the window of my office and head straight home.

* * *

Sakura's POV

By 4 pm we developed a preliminary serum that showed great potential in neutralizing the poison, it does last about 5 min before the effects wear off. I know that this would be enough time for any highly skilled shinobi. I dealt with Sasori with a much more limited amount of time and somehow managed to survive.

_This should help us not only discover anything else in the Hokage's office but also to help any shinobi that might fight against whoever is doing this._

I make my rounds in the hospital once more and head into Shizune and Tsunade-sama's room.

Shizune is making good progress, her reflexes have returned and she responds to touch and sounds. She still cannot open her eyes or communicate with us, but I am pleased with her progress so far. Tsunade sama's chakra pathways are regenerating and getting stronger.

Genma-san had been combing Shizune's hair when I got there. He looked so tired but he didn't complain.

"Genma-san why don't you go home and rest and take a shower. I will sit with them both until you get back ok?"

"I… Well I guess you are right. I don't want this beauty to wake up and see her husband looking like he was just resurrected from the dead."

I laugh at his comment and say, "Go rest, shower and eat. I will be here, don't worry."

He heads out the door and I sit next to my shishou and begin to tell her of everything that has happened so far. An hour passed so I decided to try to make Shizune and Tsunade more comfortable even in their unconscious state. I took my time washing my shishou's hair and then giving Shizune a foot rub to help circulate the blood so her ankles wouldn't get swollen. He small stomach was barely visible but I had to admit that pregnancy suited her. Her skin and hair were more vibrant and her nails grew strong and fast. I gave her a manicure before going over to sit with my shishou to tell her about my research. I was in the middle of explaining the way that we found a possible antidote, when a group of ANBU come into the room battle ready and form a defensive circle around us.

The squad captain, said, "Sakura-sama, we felt a disturbance in the protection seals placed around your office. We will defend you at all costs."

I realize that their might be another attempt towards the life of my loved ones and I begin to think fast.

I tell the captain, "I need one of you to go and protect the lab, we might have an antidote and we cannot afford to lose that. I will help protect them here in the room, but Kakashi needs to be informed of this."

I know that every shinobi knows the strength that I have and he doesn't doubt my abilities as a shinobi. He is just second guessing what Kakashi might do to him if something were to happen to me.

I tell him that he needs to go now and that I will deal with Kakashi when he gets here.

It's as if I read his mind because he relaxes a bit and then heads out to secure the lab and inform my husband.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I was almost home when I felt one of the ANBU guards from the hospital come up beside me. I stop at one of the rooftops and he tells me about the disturbance in the protection seals.

_Sakura…._

I fly through the seals that will locate the seals in Sakura's ring and teleport to her location.

I arrive by her side in an instant and I notice the ANBU squad on high alert. They executed the formation perfectly but I don't see their captain.

Sakura looks at me and she knows I am questioning where the ANBU captain is at and she puts her hand on my arm and then says, "I think that we might have come up with an antidote so I took his place while they went to protect the lab. He must have sent someone else to find you."

I mentally relax a bit that she had the foresight to go and send someone to protect the antidote, but my stance is still defensive and we are all on high alert.

The ANBU squads outside the hospital are running a perimeter looking for anything suspicious and the guards at the main gate into the village have also been notified.

Neji comes inside the room in his ANBU captain's gear and then bows to us followed by a worried looking Genma.

Genma goes to Shizune's side and is on high alert.

"Kakashi-sama we found a box nearby addressed to Naruto-sama. No one has touched it nor has it been tampered with."

I nod at him and then look at Sakura, "Do you think that we might be able to test out the antidote?"

"It's worked so far, I don't think it should be a problem."

"Good, Hawk here will take over the protection detail of the hospital grounds and staff. I am sure that he will be perfectly capable of keeping them safe for us."

I nod in Neji's direction and he bows in acceptance of his new post.

Sakura and I walk down to the lab and she hands me the antidote serum that they have ready.

I take the antidote vials and we both go to where the package was being held.

Naruto was already there and so was Shikamaru, Kiba and Choji.

We approach them and Sakura informs them that her medics came up with an antidote for any possible poison we might contract.

Kiba says, "I don't smell anything like poison but there is something definitely off about that box. It smells like death."  
I had to agree with him but since we were not sure if it was a poison that was passed through the skin we had to be safe and have someone take the antidote to check it out.

I volunteered but Shikamaru said that I was not allowed to put myself in danger for no reason.  
Choji stepped up and said to Naruto, "Will the Hokage allow me to be the one that takes the antidote and investigate the box?"

Naruto looks over to Shikamaru and he simply says, "Naruto-sama, Choji can metabolize the antidote faster than anyone here. Sakura is here to help if we need it. I don't see why there should be a problem."  
I see the truth in his words and take a step back and nod at Naruto's direction.

Sakura gives him the antidote and tells him that he will be protected for 5 minutes max.

Choji nods and then steps forward.

Sakura then takes something out of her pack and yells at Choji, "Hey swab the inside of the box with this and use this one for the outside. If they change color then that means they are laced with poison."  
He catches the pack of swabs and then makes his way towards the package.

He carefully swabs the outside and nothing happens. He then slowly opens it and then gasps with what he see's inside.

He first swabs the inside of the box and when nothing happens we all approach it slowly.  
I could smell the stench of decay from here but both me and Kiba held our breath and stepped forward. Our very sensitive noses could tell that the things inside had recently been killed.

Inside there was a weasel with a snake wrapped around its body with a note saying '_You're next_' and a fox with its throat slit and a note saying '_How can you bring about peace when you are dead?'_.

There was silence from everyone that was gathered.

Shikamaru said, "Whoever this was, had a personal grudge against Naruto-sama."

I then add, "And Sasuke too."

Shikamaru looks at me and then down at the weasel and snake.

He says, "This is so troublesome… This person or group of persons know about Sasuke and Naruto-sama. We know who they are targeting… now we just don't know why."

Naruto turns to me and says, "Sasuke is not to leave your side under no circumstances. I will move out from your house, there is no need to keep both targets in the same house and make it easier for them."

I nod and we all move towards the Hokage tower.

Sasuke was summoned and he joined me at my side. He had already taken off the ANBU gear I had given him. I had told him that he was only to wear it when we would be within ANBU headquarters.

I filled him in and told him of the package that we found. He stiffened at the mention of the weasel and snake and knew the meaning behind it.

Choji volunteered to go through the Hokage's office to verify if there are any other tainted documents.

He swabs all the documents on the desk and when he finds the contaminated scroll, he puts it in a flattened glass case. This way we can investigate the document without fear of being poisoned.

There is no seal on the scroll, no mark of a daimyo or village leader. It simply looked like a report on trade routes and merchant contracts.

_Kami… the merchant robberies… this is how they are connected._

I tell everyone about the intell that my ANBU teams have collected and Shikamaru begins to think about the possible repercussions of not informing the other countries.

Naruto looks at me and then at Sasuke.

He tells him, "Sasuke, you are not to leave Kakashi's side, understand." His tone is serious and he is completely focused. He looks directly at Sasuke and says, "I will not lose my best friend again, but I have to think about Konoha now. You are to follow your commanding officer's orders without question. If he tells you to do or wear something you will do it and act the part that he has told you to play. If things get worse I will make sure that your chakra suppressors are taken off. We need every able shinobi ready for battle if it were to come to that."

He looks at all of us and says, "That being said, we need to think about the economic stability of Konoha. We will open the gates and continue regular trade agreements. I will order some teams to keep a closer watch on the trade routes but I will have to inform the other Kage's about this situation eventually. ANBU will continue the recon assignments that are currently in place, the information obtained is now crucial to our defense."

I then look at Naruto and say, "Hokage-sama I might have a lead. Before I was alerted of the package outside the hospital I was going to go home to ask Sasuke a question."

They all look at me and I turn to Sasuke, "Your old team… didn't you have a person there that could mask their chakra where even Naruto had a hard time finding them while in battle?"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he whispered, "Karin…"

* * *

A/N: What do you guys think? I working in another arc into the story so hopefully I can make this work. My story is getting a bit complicated and I have to keep track of my outline for sure now. Any suggestions are always welcomed. I do take them into consideration and I have used many of prescripto13's suggestions in the past as well.

Thank you for your words of encouragement I really appreciate them very much. Please continue to review!


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 36

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We all look at Sasuke and Shikamaru asks, "Sasuke, who is Karin?"

He takes a deep breath and says, "She was on my team when we fought against Orochimaru. The day that… well the day that I came back to Konoha, she was the one that fought against Naruto. I knew that she couldn't overpower him, but she can hide her chakra at an expert level. She is a sensory type nin who carries the Uzumaki bloodline. She is very adept to avoid other sensory ninjas."

Naruto then says, "Yeah I remember her, she was all like, 'Sasuke-kun this and Sasuke-kun that.' She was kinda crazy about you teme, but she and her friends said that they would be loyal to you til the end. What do you think happened?"

Out of the corner of my eye I see Sakura stiffen at the memories of her doing the same thing.

Sasuke shakes his head and says, "I don't know I haven't talked to them since that day. I thought they were sent to Sound."

"We have never had a good relationship with sound, but it would be helpful if we had more information." Shikamaru says to us with a thoughtful glance.

Sasuke sits down on a nearby chair and says, "What do you want to know?"

Shikamaru sits down in front of him and asks, "Everything you know about your former teammates."

Sasuke looks at him and begins to tell everyone how they met in Orochimaru's lair. He tells them of each person's background, abilities and their weaknesses. He seems to willingly give up this information but as he finishes, he tells them, "Look I know how this looks but they are not all that bad, misunderstood yes, and who wouldn't be after surviving those experiments."

We let his words sink in and Naruto dismisses everyone except me.

He tells Sakura to go on ahead with Sasuke and that he would send me over as soon as he is done talking with me.

I kiss my wife on the cheek and tell her that I will be home shortly to eat dinner with her and Sasuke.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I nod at Naruto and Sasuke and I head home.

We walk home in silence but I don't feel the same awkwardness around Sasuke as I did before. I see the change in him and I can only imagine how his life would have been like if he didn't suffer such a loss at an early age like he did.

We get home and I head into the kitchen to begin making dinner, when I feel Sasuke follow me in.

"Sakura, how can I help?"

I was a little shocked to hear him offer to help me. When we were genin he would just say things like 'Hn' and act like he was above helping anyone that didn't meet his level or approval.

I nodded and ask if he could wash the vegetables that I was getting out of the refrigerator and if he could start to make the rice.

He did as I asked and I was preparing the things that I would need to make tonkatsu.

When he started cooking the rice, I asked if he could slice the cabbage and then start heating up the pan so I can pan fry the tonkatsu.  
He deftly sliced the cabbage and then placed the pan on the stove to heat up as I was finishing preparing the pork slices. When he saw that I was almost done he took some of the slices and started cooking them himself.

He gave a small smile out of the corner of his lips and said, "I got this Sakura, go and finish the rest."

I smiled back and went to wash my hands.

I stared at him for a second.

_Who would have thought that Uchiha Sasuke would be helping me make dinner in my own home?_

We worked in comfortable silence and I absent-mindedly starting to hum a tune while I finished prepping the food.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Naruto closed the door and then asked me to sit down.

"Kaka-sensei, what do you think about Sasuke? Do you think that he is telling the truth, that he really has changed?"  
I lean back on the chair and say to him, "Has he done anything since he got back to have you question his trust?"

He thinks about it for a while and then says, "No it's just that when he moved out of the room we shared, I thought he was going back to be his old jerk self again. I haven't felt any killing intent when we spared or when I would do things to annoy him either."

He continues to look at me waiting for an answer, "Naruto, I sparred with him when he was undercover as a ANBU trainee. Not once did he come at me with killing intent either. I have trained with him everyday since he returned and he has opened up a lot in these last few days. He is going through a lot of emotional issues right now. I imagine you can understand what its like to be alone. He is starting at the place you were a couple of years ago. In that regard he has yet to mature and open up to others but he is slowly doing that. I don't think that he is going to do anything to harm Konoha but I will be able to stop him if he does. I can't put blinders on in the face of harm coming to my village and loved ones. He was gone for so long and many of his views were warped by people only seeking to use him as a weapon. We are making progress and you can see that by how he is willing to help in anyway that we allow him to. Not once has he complained about the restrictions the village has placed on him. I think that he is trying to find a way back into our regular lives."

Naruto thinks about what I said and then smiles and chuckles lightly.

"You know Kaka-sensei, you have changed too. If you would have been like this when we were genin I have no idea how any of us would have turned out. I don't think we would have taken you seriously back then if you would be imparting life lessons with each training or spar we had."  
I rub the back of my head and then say, "Naruto you have grown up and seen a fraction of what I had to live through, what I tell you now hits home in a way that it wouldn't have back then. I never wanted anyone else to suffer through another shinobi war and I plan to prevent another if we can."

Naruto looks at me and then shakes his head as if to dismiss his thoughts.

"So, even with chakra suppressors, how is he in a fight?"

I smile at him and say, "He is still very fast. I can only imagine how he can be at full power."

"Come on Kaka-sensei, half of ANBU saw you fight with the 'new recruit'. They were all talking about it. They say that it was pretty awesome."

"Naruto when this is all over I will recommend him to advance in rank at the next exams. Personally I would prefer to have him in ANBU with me because of his skill and discipline, but I don't know if the council will allow him."  
He thinks it over and says, "Let me deal with the council when the time comes. Now go home and don't make my sister wait up on you."

I wave at him and then head towards ANBU headquarters to brief my ANBU team captains.

Kiba had them ready and waiting at my office.

I look at all of them and then tell them what has gone on so far. I tell them that since we might have to increase our numbers we will need for them to replace one member of their team with a new ANBU recruit.

All of ANBU recruits have a jonin rank to begin with so it's not like they lack skill, they just lack special tactics only taught to Black Ops teams. By only placing one recruit with each team we can form a couple of other teams from the replaced ANBU team members.

I look at them and then say, "Please tell me who among your team members might be able to advance to the rank of ANBU captain. I will test them myself and if I am please, then I will allow them to be promoted in rank. We will also be having a couple of teams come in from recon work tomorrow. They will need to be informed as well and assigned new recruits."

I turn to Dog and Hawk, "Make sure that there are teams at the gates and the checkpoints along the roads. The two ANBU squads at the hospital will be chosen by me specifically. I will see you tomorrow. Dismissed."

They bow and say, "Hai, Kakashi-sama."

They all left my office and I disappear back home.

When I get home I can smell the delicious dinner coming from the kitchen. I silently walk in and see Sakura by the sink arranging the plates together while she is humming a tune.

Sounds like the song that we danced to at our wedding…

Sasuke is at the stove cooking some pork cutlets.

I flash to Sakura's side and then kiss the top of her head.

"MMmmm, love this smell good. Can I help?"

"Sorry Kashi, me and Sasuke have this covered. Would you mind setting the table and preparing the tea though?"

I kiss her on her cheek once more and then go get the tea and set the table. I saw that they were still working in the kitchen so I head into the living room. I could tell that some candles and incense sticks had been burned and the water in the flowers had been changed.

Slowly but surely… He needs to take things one day at a time…

Sakura calls out, "Love, dinner is ready."

Sasuke is holding the door open for her as she is bringing in some plates and he carries the rest.

We all eat our dinner and Sakura is telling us all about some proteins and chemical compounds about the antidote that I don't seem to follow. My medical knowledge is limited to what I needed to know to patch up my ANBU team's in the past, so molecular biology is beyond me. The look on Sasuke's face tells me that he seems as lost as I am too.

I offer to wash the dishes since they both cooked and Sasuke walks outside to the garden, probably to the stone fans.

Sakura follows me into the kitchen and helps drying.

"Love I have this, go and rest."

"Nope, the faster that we get this done the faster that I have you all to myself. I… I have something to show you."

My curiosity is getting the better of me and I had to ask, "Sakura can I have a hint please?"

"Oh no, I waited years to see what was underneath that mask of yours and not once did you ever give anyone of us any hints. Now finish washing up so I can show you."

She gives me a sly smirk and then disappears into our room.

I don't think I had ever washed, dried and put away dishes as fast as I did.

I walk into our room and I place a silencing jutsu over us.

I begin to take off my hitai-ate when soft slender fingers come up from behind me and then loosen the knot that holds it in place. Her fingers work through my scalp slowly lingering at the base of my neck.

She doesn't let me turn around and begins taking of my flak jacket slowly. She kisses the back of my neck and tries to take off my shirt.

_This reminds me our wedding night. _

Her height doesn't allow her to reach over my head so I help her out by kneeling down so she can pull it off.

I try to turn around and look at her but she uses her chakra enhanced muscles to hold me in place. She places soft kisses down my shoulders and up my back where she takes a small bite of my earlobe.

_This is familiar somehow but I can't really place it…._

She entangles her fingers in my hair and then give it soft tug so my neck is exposed to her. She kisses me there and then she slowly begins to disentangle her fingers and begins giving me a shoulder massage.

I can only groan out her name as she works out the hard knots of muscle and relieves some pent-up stress. My eyes flutter open and then I am rewarded with a sight that will forever be scorched into my mind.

Sakura is there wearing the _Icha Icha_ lingerie and I finally see why this was all familiar. She was playing out one of the scenes in _Icha Icha Tactics_.

Sharingan or no Sharingan, This was a sight worth memorizing.

What we did for the next few hours put _Tactics_ to shame. There is no way that I will ever be able to look at that book the same.

* * *

A/N: I really like how Kakashi can be in charge and all authoritative with his ANBU teams, and then go home and be sweet and loving to his wife. BTW I forgot to add this on the A/N from last chapter: I am having Kakashi take ANBU in another direction. He suffered from PTSD and he knows how much mental stress can harm the well being of anyone. He is implementing new policies to help alleviate that and having a medic for a wife will help in the end. Sakura knows how much Kakashi was broken and her caring and compassionate nature will help them form a better ANBU together.

Sorry no love scene here. I thought that by just alluding to it would be more powerful than just a smut filled play-by-play (I think it gives Kakashi and Sakura a 'sense' of privacy).

Karin was part of the group that they sent to Sound but at that time they were loyal to Sasuke. Things have changed between the dynamics of Team Taka, so I don't know what might happen next or who is really behind all of this. Suggestions/guesses/thoughts welcomed by all.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 37

* * *

Sakura's POV

I woke up and felt that Kakashi wasn't in bed.

I got up and looked out our bedroom window and saw that he was training with Sasuke already. He was using his white chakra to get Sasuke agitated, annoyed or upset so he would come at him with killing intent. Sasuke would charge at him with a ninjato or kunai and then block Kakashi's attacks.

Kakashi then would charge his tanto with chakra and swing in a very deadly, yet graceful, manner. Sasuke was sent reeling back from the powerful attack but Kakashi never struck him, it was only the white chakra that managed to intimidate him.

When Sasuke would get back up and begin to use his rage instead of clearing his head of emotions, Kakashi would calm him down by sending feelings of safety, surrender and security.

I could feel the emotions rolling off of the both of them as they trained in emotionally stressful scenarios.

I got dressed and decided to join them during their training exercises.

I walked out of the porch and then launched myself into one of the bigger trees in the garden.

Kakashi noticed me and then landed next to me.

He took a deep breath and took in my scent. He then kissed the top of my head and said, "Good morning love."

I got on my tiptoes and kissed his masked lips, "Good morning, Kashi."

I looked down towards Sasuke and he looked up at me and nodded in my direction.

"Hey Sasuke, how is training going?"

"Emotionally-charged, you would say…"

Kakashi rubs the back of his head and says to me with a shrug, "I think emotional training is just as important as physical. We don't know how we will react in certain situations so if we train while feeling said emotions it might give us a better understanding of ourselves."

I think about what he said and then nod.

"Well guys do you mind if I join you, I haven't had a proper sparring session in a while and I don't want to lose my edge."

They both smirk in my direction and they immediately disappear into the treeline.  
I know that I can't match their speed so I have to play things safe and use whatever chance they give me.

Sasuke tried to use his genjutsu but I manage to evade it though.

How could he forget that I had to deal with not only one, but two, Sharingan wielders on the same team. Sasuke was impressed with my strength and I managed to hit him twice and I cut him with my chakra scalpels deep enough to get his attention.

Kakashi however, was another story, I had yet to win a spar with my husband. His speed and sense of smell always worked to his advantage. While Sasuke took a break we both went to the treeline and then started jumping from limb to limb.

_He was stalking me, like I was his prey._

_We'll see about that._

I felt him coming up behind me and then I turned around just before he caught me and deliberately let go of my chakra and fell from the branch.

He had a second to realize what was going on and he quickly flashed to my side and caught me before I hit the floor. When he caught me I used my chakra to roll him around as we landed and effectively pin him down and placed a kunai to his throat.

His eyes widened and he suddenly took off his mask and then reached up and kissed me.

His kiss was fierce and urgent.

Sasuke cleared his throat when he saw us.

I break away first for some much-needed oxygen. We both get up and Kakashi leans over by a tree and chuckles, "Love, you are more deadly than any katana or scalpel that you have ever wielded. You have most definitely not lost your edge."

I smile in his direction and tell them that they should finish their training while I make some breakfast.

We all need to be at work at sunrise and these predawn training's really get you hungry for a good breakfast.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_I can't believe her! She used my emotions against me to finally win a spar with me… Kami I love her. She smells irresistable…_

I went to go and get my weapons and Sasuke looked at me and said, "You are good together. I didn't understand in the beginning, but I see how good you two are for each other. I am glad that she is happy with you Sensei."

I nod and say, "Let go get ready and get some breakfast before she comes out here and really shows you her strength. You know, she was only hitting you with half of her usual strength."

I smile when I hear her yell out the window, "I heard that! If you want to go all out it would have to wait until my day off from the hospital!"

We eat our breakfast and then we all walk towards the hospital to drop Sakura off. ANBU headquarters is just a couple blocks off so I tell her that I will be coming over to have lunch with her.

She blushes as I kiss her forehead and gently caress her cheek with a small amount of white chakra.

Her eyes shine brightly and she returns my unspoken feelings with a simple glance full of love and tenderness.

I see her walk into the hospital and then I nod at Sasuke and jump onto the rooftops and head to my office.

I had told him to keep his ANBU training gear in my office so that they couldn't inform the council that he was training in ANBU.

After we jumped into my office through the window, he went into the adjacent room to change and when he came out Yamato and Sai were standing in front of my desk.

They all had their masks on but I knew just about every single person just by chakra signature or scent alone.

They didn't say anything about the ANBU trainee in my office and just stood there waiting for my orders.

"Both of you will take 4 days off and then report back to me. I will be assigning you each a new team that you will head as captain. There will be a new ANBU trainee in each team. Make sure that you keep an eye out for them as their training is not complete yet."

Yamato bowed and said, "Kakashi-sama, if their training is not yet complete, why assign them to a team so early on?"

I smile and say, "I want you to bond…" Their stance stiffens and then I laugh lightly and then say, "Well… I am doing this because I need as many battle ready teams in a short amount of time so, the trainees will not only get full regiment training with Dog, but they will also get individual training with their team captains. Understood?"  
"Hai, Kakashi-sama."

"Dismissed."

They disappear and Sasuke just stands there looking at the floor.

"Sensei, I know that they can feel who I am or at least they have a suspicion. I trust your judgement but what do you want me to do here?"

"I need for you to continue to do just what you are doing now. Learn, train, and continue to get your back to normal. Don't worry about the rest, it will all come in time."

He nods and then I ask him, "Sasuke, what are your thoughts on your former team members. Do you think that they would be capable of doing this on their own?"  
He stands still and then clenches his fists, "No, if they have something to do with this, they were either forced or someone else is manipulating them. Through all of their faults they… I mean we have been through a lot together."

I sit back in my chair and look out the window, "I understand…. I need for you to go down to the training grounds and continue your training with Dog."

"Hn."

He bows his head slightly and then jumps out the window, down to the training grounds below.

Kiba arrives shortly after, followed by the rest of the trainees.

My thoughts went back to a certain pink haired woman who drove me to my knees with just a sweet loving smile.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I get to the hospital and go and check on Shizune and Tsunade-sama.

The guards nod at me as I pass by them and open the doors for me.

I walk in and I see Genma crying softly on the bed. I became alarmed and quickly rushed to her side. I immediately pushed in some of my chakra and I felt nothing out of the ordinary.

"Genma-san what is wrong?"

"I think I felt the baby kick" He said in a soft voice, "and Shizune isn't even awake to feel it."

I go over to the side of the bed that he was and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Yeah but this strong, spirited baby has Daddy here to share it with. Don't worry Genma-san she will wake up soon enough. Her body is recuperating but nothing is going on inside that would cause me to be alarmed. Shizune fought really hard to protect your child when it was in it's most vulnerable state, her body took all the poison, without the aid of her own chakra to protect herself, so she could form a barrier and protect your baby. She needs to rest and I promise you she will be able to feel your child kick in no time at all."

I smile and he smiles back saying, "Thank you Sakura."

I go over to Tsunade-sama's side of the room and I check on her. Her body is healing all the residual effects and I can feel the strength return to the steady rhythm of her heart.

I brush her hair and then I tell her all about the progress we had made in the antidote and the leads that Kakashi and Shikamaru are investigating. I continue to tell her how Naruto is doing a wonderful job and that the village is still in one piece. His leadership has been welcomed by many of the jonin in the village and many of the merchants have come to him for council on affairs.

I might be imagining things but I think that she looks more at peace and her skin is not as pale as before.

I kiss her on the forehead and whisper in her ear, "Okaa-san, you need to wake up, Shizune's baby started to kick and you don't want to miss that. Before you worry yourself and ask me embarrassing questions when I wake up… Well, I think that I am… well… me and Kakashi… I don't know yet but there might be a chance… ughh…. I don't even know how to say this but we'll find out soon… I really don't know but I just have a feeling that something good is coming… but you need to be awake so you can confirm it yourself."

_We hadn't been using birth control and there was a very, very high possibility that with the numerous occasions that we had been together that something might have happened._

It was kind of embarrassing talking about this, but I had no one else to talk to it about.

Ino was out of the question. She would spread it around like wildfire.

Hinata would undoubtedly tell Naruto.

Tenten was so involved with her secret relationship with Neji that I didn't want to stress her out with something that was just a gut feeling.

I left their room and went about my usual morning rounds in the hospital and was only pulled away from work when I received a small bouquet of flowers waiting for me at the nurses station with a note addressed to me.

It said, _"Sakura, a certain feisty and impatient husband is waiting for you in your office. Yours, K"_

I smiled and the nurses kept giving me knowing smiles and pointing in the direction of my office door.

I picked up my flowers and headed straight there.

I open my office to see it empty.

I close the door but as soon as I turn around, strong steady arms pick me up and the loving face of my husband leans in to steal a quick kiss.

He places a finger on my lips so I wouldn't speak and he takes me to the nearby couch that I had in my office and gently lays me down.

He keeps his finger on my lips and then begins softly trailing kisses down my neck towards my collarbone. His hands gently move down and softly caress my skin. He continues placing feather-light kisses down the front of my body until he catches the front of my shirt button with his mouth and begins to undo it with his skilled tongue and teeth.

I gasp as his mouth begins its slow trek south towards my skirt while his hands are already touching me and making me moan out soft incomprehensible sounds and fragments of his name. He looks up towards me and then gives me a loving smile as he slowly dips down to taste me, never breaking his gaze.

It was the most erotic thing to see. His dark gray eyes burning into me, making melt with their heavy steady gaze. I could not believe that we were doing this in broad daylight, in the middle of my office, during my lunch break.

He brought me close to the edge of my climax but then slowly ran his tongue up towards my trembling knees and said in a low seductive tone, "Sakura I didn't place a silencing jutsu in your office…" I bit my lower lip as his hands caressed me in a slow steady pace.

"I suggest that we keep it down unless you want the entire floor to hear your pleasure…"

He continued to tease me and I ran my fingernails down his forearms.

He took in a sharp breath and quickly undid his pants and took me in one thrust.

I was about to scream in pleasure but he covered my mouth with his and swallowed my cries.

"Sakura your scent is subtly different, it's driving me crazy… and with our spar in the morning… aghhh… Oh love that feels good…. I couldn't wait till later to have you….. Ughhhh."

Our lovemaking was quick and urgent. His small bites on my shoulder were like small marks of possessiveness on his part, as were my fingernail marks on his shoulders and back.

He was so good and knew exactly what spots made me see stars and kept the tempo fast and hard.

I couldn't take it anymore and sent little pulses of chakra to my passage effectively bringing him to an immediate release. We both reached our climax at the same time. I was silently screaming his name and he inwardly growled into my neck his pleasure.

It felt so good and so right and I breathlessly told him, "Kashi, I might be pregnant…"

* * *

A/N: Dum, Dum, Dummmmm! I hope you guys like that chapter. In this universe pregnant women can use chakra but in a limited amount, such as Shizune. Sakura, having perfect chakra control, a huge reserve on her strength of a hundred seal, and having Inner Sakura control a second set of chakra will be able to use chakra at normal levels. She will not be able to overexert herself much like any other pregnant woman, but she will still be able to do normal things.

Kakashi…. well we will see how he takes the news in the next chapter! Any guesses? Please review. To all of my new followers, reviewers and those who deemed my story worthy of a favorite, I humbly thank you all for your support! I love you guys :)


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 38

* * *

Kakashi's POV

"Kashi, I might be pregnant…"

_Those words…. coming from her lips…. Pregnant?_

That was all the confirmation that I needed.

I had slowly began to notice the subtle change in her scent, she now smelled of rain and lightning all rolled into one intoxicating aroma.

Her natural scent can only be described as fresh rain and jasmine, but this new scent was different… and uniquely ours.

_Ours… Our child… _

I looked into her eyes; her wide expectant eyes, and she was searching mine for any response.

I kissed her softly, full of love and tenderness. She let out a small breath and then relaxed into my embrace.

"Oh Sakura…. I love you so much."

I continued to kiss her and then I made my way down to her abdomen. I laid my head on her and then I took in a deep breath while I kissed the skin gently.

She reacted to my touch with a sigh of content and then ran her fingers through my hair as I continued to press my lips right where our child was developing.

I knew that she was pregnant, there was no 'might be' it was a fact and I was the happiest man in the world.

There was no other reason for her scent to change and combine hers along with mine.

"Kashi, you know don't you?"

"Yes, love. I thought your scent had changed a bit. Sakura I am so happy that words can't even describe how I feel."  
Her warm loving smile is always my undoing and I move up the couch so I can capture those delicious lips once more.

She is so responsive to my kisses and she doesn't notice when I begin to let my white chakra flow into her and envelop her in an aura of all the feelings that I am feeling now, all of my unspoken promises.

She looks at me and says, "I know love… I feel the same way."

I kiss her forehead and then move down to place another on her stomach.

We both get up and get dressed and begin to eat the food that I had brought in earlier.

"Sakura, how is the antidote coming along." I said in between bites of food.

Her eyes lit up and she says that even though having Shizune and Tsunade-sama infected with this poison was horrible, a lot of good has come of it.

"Kashi, can you believe that we have attenuated the strands of poison to create a long acting antidote for a broad-spectrum of poisons. With this we can keep a couple of vials with each medic on the field and hopefully save countless lives."

She was so excited and I could tell that her passion was helping save lives in any way that she can.

We both finish our meals and then we hear a knock on the door.

I flash to the door and unlock it to see one of my ANBU captains at the door.

Hawk bowed his head slightly and then said, "Kakashi-sama, Sakura-sama, We have some good news for you… Please accompany me to Shizune-san's room."

Sakura gets up and literally runs down the hall to enter the room.

She stops at the doorway and then begins to smile widely. I follow close behind her and I see Shizune sitting up on her bed with Genma at her side.

Shizune opens her arms in Sakura's direction and my wife has tears of relief in her eyes. They both embrace and between sobs we hear, 'I'm so happy you're safe', 'Thank you for saving my baby', 'I love you', 'I love you too'.

I look over at Genma and the look of relief and gratitude is plain to see.

Sakura is the first to get up and immediately go into medic mode. She begins fixing the pillows to make her more comfortable and orders Shizune to lay down so she can evaluate her again.

Shizune complies with her demands and Sakura's green chakra flows into Shizune.

When Sakura finishes she looks at Shizune and Genma and says, "I need for you to stay for one more day of observation but you will be free to go home after. Everything looks great!"

Shizune smiles at her but then suddenly places her hands on her slightly round abdomen and her eyes widen. She grabs Genma's hand and places it where she previously had it, "Genma did you feel that! Our baby kicked!"

Sakura comes to my side and wraps her arms around my waist.

She looks up at me and then says, "Let's give them some privacy."

I glance at the ANBU guards in the room and outside the window and they disappear in an instant. We walk out the room and close the door.

I kiss the top of Sakura's head and say, "I need to go back to work love. I'll see you at home ok?"

She nods and places a chaste kiss on my masked lips before saying, "I loved our lunch break. Thank you Kashi."

I smile and then in a puff of smoke, I head back to ANBU headquarters.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I walk back into my office and clean up the remnants of our lunch and straighten out the couch.

_Kakashi is happy with the news… My sister is awake… _

_All I need is for my shishou to wake up and for us to find the perpetrators._

The nurses notice the smile plastered on my face as I begin to work the afternoon shift.

The day pretty much is the same and it isn't until I am about to go home when there is a small commotion outside.

They're some ninjas bringing in some injured jonin and chunin that had been patrolling the trade routes.

I need to do something but I couldn't overexerted myself in my state.

I took charge of the trauma case and had the other medics on staff follow my precise instructions. I would help close off the arteries and any other delicate procedures but they would have to heal the majority of the broken bones and such.

Naruto came crashing down the hall demanding answers from any shinobi that was conscious to answer.

Kakashi and Sasuke came in to the hospital and began questioning the shinobi that had just been brought in.

One of the jonin's said, "Hokage-sama, we were ambushed while we were already fighting some enemy nin's that were attacking the merchants. There was a trio that came out of nowhere and they had a weird seal on their foreheads. There were two males and a female. The look on their eyes was vacant. None of them wore hitai-ate's"

Naruto's face was grim.

Kakashi's posture stiffened and Sasuke clenched his hands into fists.

Kakashi then asked, "What kinds of attacks did they use?"

I asked, "Was there any poison used?"

"I am sorry, I don't know if any poison was used, but their attacks were varied, the female kept hiding her chakra and hitting us with weapons. There was a large guy that changed his arm into an ax, and the other male had a water ability."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi and said, "It is them."

The injured jonin looked at Naruto and said, "Hokage-sama, we were also battling snakes."

I finished healing the team captain and then checked on the chunins. They had non-life threatening injuries and I told them the other medics to take care of their injuries. Kakashi noticed this and came to my side at once.

"Sakura are you ok?"

"Yes, Kashi… I was just reaching my chakra limit. I'm going to have to get used to these limitations while I am working."

Naruto looks at us and raises and eyebrow.

I shake my head but I smile in his direction promising him to tell him later.

He nods and then continues his investigation with the other chunin.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I can tell that Sakura tired because of her change in breathing and the light sheen on her forehead.

I am glad that she is at least delegating some of the work to the other medics. She could be so stubborn at times, and now with Shizune and Tsunade-sama out, the hospital duties fall to her.

I think we might have to have Naruto know about the pregnancy before Sakura exhausts herself.

I hold onto her elbow and guide her into a nearby chair, she looked a bit dizzy and slightly paled while healing her last patient.

Sasuke seemed to noticed and came back with a cup of water and even though his face didn't betray any emotion, his eyes soften and had a look of concern.

Sakura took the cup from him and took a sip and then said, "Thank you Sasuke."

"Hn" was the only thing that he said and then he looked back at Naruto.

"Teme, I think that all of their reports lead back to your old teammates."

"Naruto-sama, they did say that they were battling snakes and they had a seal on their forehead. There is a possibility that someone else might be using them."  
Sakura then says, "I agree if they had a vacant look in their eyes, it is possible that they were under the influence of a seal or jutsu."

He nods and then starts pacing up and down the halls.

"Naruto-sama, I am going to take Sakura home, she needs to rest."

He looks in her direction and then his brows furrow in concern, "Sakura-chan are you ok? What's going on?"

She looks at me and then I nod.

She takes his hand and then says, "How about you come to dinner and we can talk about it then."

I then look at him and say, "Yamato and Sai are back from their mission, it would be nice to all have dinner like old times."

He smiles at Sakura and then says, "Ok but there better be some ramen for me."

She giggles and then taps him on the top of his head, "You baka! There is more to life than ramen. But since my Hokage requested it for dinner, I'll see what I can do."

Naruto then taps her on her nose and says, "Sakura-chan you really know how to spoil us."

I pick her up and she doesn't protest; _she must be more tired than she has let on._

She places her head on my shoulder and as we walk out, she says to Naruto, "Oh and find Kiba-kun and tell him that he has to be there for dinner too!"

He waves and says, "I will."

Sasuke follows us and when we get home he tells me that he will be outside for a few minutes.

Sakura is curled up in my arms and had fallen asleep on our way home. I take her to our room and place her on our bed. She looks so beautiful.

I let my fingertips charge up with some white chakra and I place one hand on her heart and the other on her lower abdomen. I sent all the feelings of love and safety that I could project to my family.

Sakura murmured, "Kashi, love you."

She snuggled into my side of the bed and grabbed my pillow as she fell into a deeper sleep.

I went to the kitchen and began to get some stuff out to make some dinner. If we were going to announce this to the guys, I better have them occupied with food or else they might want to start a fight.

Yamato and Sai came in while I was preparing some curry and finishing making some rice.

Yamato said, "What's up with all the food Kakashi-senpai?"

Sai was sitting on one of the bar stools flipping through one of his sketchbooks.

I looked up from my work and said, "Sakura and I want to tell you guys something so she wanted all of you to be here for dinner."

"Is she ok senpai?"

"Yes, she is fine… she is taking a nap now. She had an _eventful_ day today, so she is a little tired.

Sasuke comes in from the garden and looks a bit more relaxed than when he went out.

"Sensei, I have a bad feeling about the snakes that attacked the shinobi from the hospital. I killed Orochimaru, but I know that Kabuto managed to escape. Do you think that he might be behind this?"

Naruto came in at that moment and he sighed, "Hey teme, don't worry, that weirdo will not get his hands on you, and we will manage to find a way to fix your old teammates. If they were forced to do this then I don't see why we have to blame them."

He nods and then takes a seat next to Sai, silently watching him go through some sketches on his sketchbook.

Naruto stands in the kitchen taking a glass to get some water, "So, Kaka-sensei, what are you going to tell us?"

Kiba comes in from the back porch door along with Akamaru.

He says, "Tell us what? Did I miss something?"  
I hold up my hands and say, "Oh no… you guys are going to have to wait until Sakura wakes up. Now here make yourself useful and set the table."

They all get to work and we have the table ready by the time that Sakura walks out of the room. She had washed her face and changed her clothes as well.

She says, "Ummm, Kashi… this smells delicious!"

"We all helped, Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto I can tell my husbands cooking anywhere, if you would have all helped, nothing would have gotten done or half of the food would have been eaten already."

She smiles at him though and I we all sit to eat.

Kiba says, "So Sakura, why did you want us all here?"

Naruto chimes in, "Yeah Kaka-sensei didn't want to say a thing until you woke up."

She puts down her glass of water and then holds my hand and looks at all the guys, "Well it's kinda early on but… you know that I love all of you guys and… I… I mean, we… wanted you to hear it from us before anyone else…"

Her hand grips mine tighter and I say, "Sakura is pregnant."

Their reactions were as varied as their personalities.

Naruto jumped up and said "WHAT! Teme can you believe it we are going to be uncles!"

Sasuke was quiet but his eyes widened and he kept looking a Sakura's abdomen as if her stomach would immediately grow.

Yamato smiled and said, "Congratulations to the both of you."

Sai looked worried and said under his breath, "I need to find books about this…"

Kiba laughs at Sai's obvious confusion and then says to Sai, "You baka, Sakura is going to have a baby!"

He is the first one to come up to her and give her a hug while Akamaru barked and wagged his tail at all the commotion.

Naruto was next and he hugged the both of us before asking Sakura if he could touch her stomach.

She rolled her eyes but smiled at her brother giving him permission.

Naruto knelt in front of her and then placed one of his hands over her stomach and said, "Hey little one, this is your Uncle Naruto. I can't wait to meet you and don't worry I am the Hokage of this village and I will make sure to keep you safe. Believe it! Plus I am the fun uncle here, I can teach you some pretty awesome jutsus when you get older."

Sakura hit him on the top of his head and then said, "Naruto if you teach my child any perverted jutsus I will personally put you in the hospital for a really, really long time."

He rubbed his head and then Kiba jabbed him in the ribs, "With all due respect Naruto-_sama_, I am the fun uncle who will be able to play with the little one while you are buried in a mountain of paperwork."

"Look Inuzuka, I will personally send you on yearlong missions if you keep this up!"

They both took playful jabs at each other. Sai looked at Sakura and said, "Will this affect us living here?"

Sakura shook her head and I said to Yamato, Sai and Sasuke, "I already told you that our home is your home. You don't have to feel like you have to move out or anything… this house is too big to begin with."

Sakura then added, "And it wouldn't feel like a home without you guys. You are all the family either of us have left, so I forbid you to leave." She gives them a slight pout but it works on them.

The three of them nodded and then Sai was talking about moving into Naruto's old room since he was now living in the Hokage's living quarters.

Yamato came up to me and said if we would allow him to build the baby's crib. Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears and she got up to give him a hug.

Sasuke still sat in his place absolutely still and had a look of deep thought at what we had just announced.

We finished eating and then Naruto and Kiba took off. Sai and Yamato were talking about moving Sai into the Naruto's old room tomorrow and went to begin to box some things up.

Sasuke helped me clear the dishes and then he helped Sakura dry them while I put them up.

Sakura had a content look on her face and I could tell that Sasuke was just wanting to say something to her.

I told them that I was going to take a shower so that Sasuke could ask whatever he had been thinking about the whole time.

Sakura's POV

Kakashi goes into our room while Sasuke and me are finishing in the kitchen.

I felt his gaze in my direction a couple of times during the dinner but he never came up to me or said anything in front of the guys.

He cleared his throat and I turned to look at him.

"Sakura, I… well I know that I hurt you a long time ago and I am still unworthy of your friendship, but I am glad that you are happy."

"Sasuke you are my friend and don't ever say that you are unworthy because our team took years to find you and now that we are back together we aren't breaking apart."

I smile at him and he looks down at his feet.

It still amazes me how Sasuke can act so normal when other's are not present. It's like he is a different person when those walls come down.

He nods and then looks at me and says, "I might not have been there to protect you all those years ago, and now you don't need it with Kakashi-sensei at your side, but if you will allow me to be a part of your child's life, I promise to protect him or her with my life."

I walk up to him and slowly open my arms. He stiffens but allows me to continue. I give him a gentle hug and he slowly hugs me back with a light awkward embrace.

I can honestly say that I have forgiven him and will protect him just like I do with my other boys. Naruto, Sai, Yamato-taichou, Kiba, and now Sasuke, will forever hold a special space in my heart.

* * *

A/N: I have finals Saturday, Monday and Tuesday so I might have to make some chapters short so I can continue to study for the rest of the week. I apologize ahead of time but I want to at least post something up for you guys.

I thank every single one of you that either reviews, favorites or follows. You guys make my day!


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 39

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_Last night actually went a lot better than I thought._

Our team took the news of Sakura's pregnancy well, they all seemed happy.

Sakura told me what Sasuke had told her after I had left.

She said that after she had the baby, she would place the same seals that Naruto, Sai and Yamato had on both Kiba and Sasuke.

_She has such a compassionate and loving heart._

I was looking at the new ANBU trainees from the window in my office and was trying to match their skills set with the existing ANBU teams.

I was watching the groups spar from afar when I saw this one trainee suddenly collapse on the field. I caught a flash of something unwrap from his throat and attempt to slither away. I threw a couple of shuriken from my window and jumped towards the training grounds in a flash.

Kiba came up to me in an instant and the other trainees were on high alert, looking for the possible threat.

My two personal ANBU guards were next to me in an instant. They usually kept a good distance away from me but where now ready for any possible attack. I turned to one of them and said, "Secure headquarters… search everywhere, they couldn't have been too far."

I grabbed the unconscious trainee and told Kiba to quarantine that. I pointed to a snake that I had pinned into the ground by the shuriken that I had thrown from my office.

I looked at Sasuke and told him, "You, follow me now. Stay alert."

He nodded and silently followed me.

I transported the masked trainee to the hospital and when we got there, the medics took him into the procedure room while I briefed them on what happened.

I felt Naruto's chakra in Sakura's office, so I went in with Sasuke following close behind me.

"Hey Kaka-sensei, I was just checking in on my little sis…"  
I interrupted him, "Hokage-sama, One of my trainees was attacked within the ANBU training grounds. They are in the village. I killed the snake that attacked the trainee."  
Sakura immediately gets up from her desk and is going to go and check on her new patient but Sasuke grabs her wrist and takes off his ANBU trainee mask and then says to her, "Be careful, if this is Kabuto this is just his way of sending a warning. Don't go for the obvious with him, his style is to hit where it is not expected. Start with the nervous system instead of the cardiovascular."

She nods and then rushes out of the room.

Naruto is looking at Sasuke and says, "I take it that you have spent time with Kabuto, huh?"

"Hai. It was not a pleasant experience for either one of us."

"Kakashi I'm sure you have taken steps to secure ANBU headquarters?"  
"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"If they are after Sasuke they are going to have to go through me."  
Sasuke stiffens slightly but then says, "Naruto-sama do you not think that they are trying to lure you out this way. The death threat was specifically made against you, I think that they are doing this to see if we get reckless. That is why they are using my former teammates and targeting us instead of attacking the village."

Naruto scoffs, "I doubt Sound is stupid enough to make an outright declaration of war after the treaties we signed after the war."

I lean against the window and then say, "It makes sense though, the specific targeting, they know that we will figure this out and it's as if they want to draw us out. They know that Sasuke is working with us now and that he will have an understanding of his teammates previous skills. Sound might not make a visible attack but they might be the ones financing it."

"Sensei, Kabuto doesn't care about anyone that he uses. If Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo are being controlled, Kabuto won't hesitate to kill them once he is done with them."

I turn and look at Naruto, "We need to send a team to infiltrate Sound."

He looks down and then says, "Ok, but you and Sasuke have to stay here, I cannot risk Sakura's life if something happened to you Kaka-sensei. Send Hawk and Dog's teams. They will find them."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Naruto then gets up and starts heading over to Tsunade-sama's room.

I follow him and I see that Shizune was discharged from the hospital this morning. Naruto took a seat next to her and said, "Baa-chan, I'm trying to keep it together, but I need for you to wake up. You said that this was a hard job, but I didn't understand it until I had to send our Leaf shinobi's out in harm's way under my orders. I want to be out there with them in the field to protect them, but I know that my place is here to protect all of Konoha."

I could tell he was worried about the effect that his decisions had on other people and I knew all too well where that self-doubt could lead.

I come up to him and then place a hand on his shoulder and say, "You have spoken like a true Hokage. A real leader wants to be there to protect his friends in battle but he also knows when to trust them and see the bigger picture. Your duty is to protect the village as a whole, and you are doing just that. Let my teams handle this, you know that they are the best trackers in all the Shinobi Nations."

He nods and then says, "Has Sakura said anything about Baa-chan's progress?"

"Hai, she is getting stronger day by day and Sakura is still healing her everyday. She said that the poison left her almost without any chakra, so Tsunade-sama had a great reserve and thus it will take a while to get her back to that level. Don't worry, just look at her she looks peaceful and no longer looks sickly."

He nods again and says to her, "Baa-chan I don't know if Sakura has already told you this but her and Kaka-sensei are going to have a baby. If you don't want to be here for that then take your sweet time, I will be the one to hold and care for both Sakura's and Shizune's babies. Can you imagine my signature on their birth registry instead of yours!"

Tsunade-sama did something that surprised us both.

She clenched her fist and let out a small, "No!" before falling back into unconsciousness.

Leave it to Naruto to know exactly which buttons to push to get a reaction out of Tsunade-sama.

Naruto was so happy that he grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Baa-chan I knew that you were a fighter, but rest now and get better quick so you can see them both."

We walk out of the room and one of my ANBU guards inform me that they only found tracks leading from the training grounds to the forest.

I nod and then I summon Pakkun.

"Yo, boss, what can I do for ya?"  
"Pakkun I need you to follow this ANBU guard and make sure that you track the scent of the people who dared attack one of my trainees."

He disappears following the guard and I join up with Sasuke and go wait in Sakura's office.

* * *

Sakura's POV

The medics were prepping him for snake bite poison extraction when I got downstairs, I told them that they were to concentrate on the poison extraction and I would begin to heal the nervous system. They looked at me with a questioning glance but complied when I focused on the trainee's spine.

I immediately noticed that the poison was only affecting the nervous system instead of flooding the body with its toxins.

_This was meant to immobilize an opponent._

I told the medics to begin poison extraction from the spine. They began and a purplish substance was extracted.

I took the sample and labeled it for analysis.

I supervised the procedure and when I was satisfied with the medics job, I stepped out of the room.

Naruto was there and asked,"How is the trainee doing?"

"He is going to be ok. Sasuke was right the toxins in the bite were only was a targeting the nervous system... it's as if it was meant to be a paralysing agent only. It didn't affect the vital organs like regular snake bites do."

He processes what I said and then said, "If this is Kabuto he might be trying to find a way to paralyze Sasuke to take him back, but I will raise hell if he even tries."

"Naruto, you also have to think that Sasuke might not be the only target. What about if they were trying it out to use it on you? I need for you to be safe as well."

He smiles at me and then says, "Sakura, Baa-chan moved on her own, and she spoke to me!"

I was shocked but I jumped on him to give him a hug. Naruto caught me in his arms and swung me around.

I whispered to him, "Thank you, if anyone could have gotten a reaction out of her while under an unconscious state, it would have been you."

He blushes slightly and then I say, "You know what this means, she will wake up soon and I will be able to tell her about" I look around the hall and then whisper, "my pregnancy."

He rubs the back of his head and then chuckles nervously, "Ummm, Sakura-chan I kinda told her already and that is why I got a reaction out of her. I told her that I would personally sign the birth registries of your and Shizune-san's baby if she didn't wake up."

I giggle and cannot stay mad at him when he looks like that.

I grab him by the arm and walk down towards my office where Kakashi and Sasuke are undoubtedly waiting for us.

We walk in and Kakashi tells me, "I guess you know about Tsunade-sama's progress by the look on your face."  
I can't help but smile at him.  
I walk up to Sasuke and tell him, "Thank you Sasuke, you were right. That bite affected just the nervous system. If you wouldn't have told us we would have wasted precious time searching for the toxins and the trainee might have at worst died and at best been paralyzed."

Naruto then tells them about my suspicions on the paralyzing agent in the toxin and both Sasuke and Kakashi clench their fists at the thought of Kabuto purposely testing this toxin on our shinobi.

I sit next to Kakashi on the edge of my desk and then Sasuke says, "Sensei, I don't think that anyone else needs to know of Sakura's pregnancy. I wouldn't put it past Kabuto to target her just because she is pregnant."

Kakashi's hold on my hand tightens slightly and Naruto agrees with Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan you are going to have to limit your chakra use as the baby continues to grow so I am going to have you run the day to day operations of the hospital and only be called for specific procedures. You will stay the majority of the time at the Hokage tower coming up with the plans for the medic school. These are your orders, and as your Hokage you will not put up a fight on this. This will be for your protection. If anything were to happen to you, there is no one here but Baa-chan herself that could save you, and since she is currently unconscious, you are not allowed to put yourself in unnecessary risk."

I feel Kakashi squeeze my hand once more and I look up to his dark grey eyes and I say, "I will protect our child and not place myself in any danger. Ok Hokage-sama, I will turn over my head medic duties to Hinata and Ino. Both of them can run the hospital efficiently."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for your reviews, follows and favorites.

I think this is the timeline so far:

Kakashi and Sakura's wedding was a little over a month ago (maybe 1 ½ months ago)

She got pregnant probably on their wedding night (to make the timeline work, so bear with me ok)

Shizune is about 2 months further along than Sakura is so she would be about 3 months pregnant.

Since both are medic-nins they would be able to tell any changes in their physiology. That is why they knew that they were pregnant from early on.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 40

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Its been two and a half months since we sent Hawk and Dog's ANBU teams into Sound. They have been collecting information but have yet to find trace of Kabuto or Sasuke's old teammates.

There have been no other incidents in the village and Tsunade-sama finally regained her strength and woke up two weeks ago. Sakura was so happy that we spent the majority of that day at the hospital getting Tsunade-sama caught up with all of the recent events.

Naruto stepped down from office, just like he promised the elders, but we are preparing for his official inaugural ceremony in about two months.

Tsunade-sama has been working closely with him on how to deal things politically and how to engage with the council and daimyo.

Both Tsunade-sama and Naruto have spoken with the council and they managed to make a deal that allowed Sasuke to take the chunnin exams in exchange for his promise to continue to be under my supervision until he could be appointed jonin by the Hokage.

This was a very simple negotiation from my viewpoint because he was a fully trained ANBU agent who only took orders from me or the Hokage and didn't have to deal with the council in no shape whatsoever. Tsunade-sama was going to allow for him to get his ANBU tattoo but he felt that he needed to go through the ranks just like all of the other trainees did.

We are preparing to leave for the chunin exams that will be administered in one week in Suna. As Sasuke's sensei I have to be present and I refused to leave Sakura's side.

Sakura had been invited by the Kazekage himself to review the new policies in the Suna hospitals. They were also going to go over enrollment criteria for the Allied Shinobi Medical School of Konohagakure that is set to open in about three months. They are plans to create more schools that taught the same curriculum in the future, but for now the medic nins of the other hidden villages would be coming here to train and learn under Shizune, Tsunade-sama and Sakura.

Today Sakura woke up with so much energy that one could not have guessed that she had been throwing up her dinner just a couple of hours prior.

She was about three months pregnant and had started having the 'I'll-be-sick-at-whatever-time-I-feel-like-just-to-make-my-husband-worry-out-of-his-mind sickness', _Kami… Genma was right._

Even with the 'morning sickness' she looked radiant today and had a glow about her that made her look like an angel. Her abdomen had already begun to swell and every curve on her body made her look magnificent.

She could still hide her growing belly under her lab coat, but I felt that we needed to capture Kabuto before she began to show even more and word got around that she was pregnant with my child.

Genma was dealing with Shizune's strange cravings and I often caught him at all hours of the day and night going to the market, or her favorite tea shop, to buy her things.

Today, however, Tsunade-sama was going to give Sakura a physical and we were going to have the first ultrasound.

She didn't want her to be in Suna and not have personally examined her before she left.

Sasuke was put on guard duty in my own team of bodyguards and kept his distance just like the rest, but I could feel his chakra around. Tsunade-sama had said that he had improved so much since we returned from the war that she wanted him to continue to be my constant shadow.

Sakura grabs my hand and gives it gentle squeeze as we are walking towards the hospital.

My thoughts are now focused completely on Sakura and how our lives will be with a small child of our own.

I kept thinking about how Genma felt not knowing if he was going to have a boy or girl.

Shizune and Genma are having a son in about 3 months time.

"Kashi, what are you thinking about? You look like you are spacing out on me."

"Don't worry Love… I was just thinking about how Genma felt before he knew that he was going to have a son."

She laughs and then says, "Yeah he was absolutely terrified that he would have to deal with boyfriends and hormones and all that."

My face paled at the thought of having to go through that.

_Those punks won't get their filthy hands on my little girl!_

She saw the look in my eyes and began to laugh, "Oh Kashi, don't tell me that you are planning the 'accidental' deaths of any guy who might look at your daughter the wrong way?"

I shake my head and say, "Oh they won't be accidental and it wouldn't matter which way they looked at her, they will have to go through me first, then the rest of our team before they even think about setting eyes on her."

I feel two chakras flare in agreement behind me somewhere and I silently thank Sasuke and Yamato for understanding me.

She pulls me down and gives me a kiss on the cheek, "Love don't worry about that right now, we might not even be having a girl, we might have a son. Then I would have to be the one to make sure that all of the no-good women stay away from him!"

I smile at her and then automatically feel better when she grins in my direction.

* * *

Sakura's POV

We walk into the hospital and go up the stairs to the room that Tsunade-sama had ordered set up on the cardiovascular floor. She didn't want me to go into the obstetrical wing of the hospital in fear of someone finding out about the pregnancy before it was safe to reveal it.

We both enter the room and I begin to prepare for the ultrasound. I wanted to ask her if everything was ok because in my mind I was measuring too big for the time that I should be pregnant. I rationalized it as me worrying about being too fat or whatever but the medic in me told me that measuring too big was either because there was something wrong, or there was more than one. I didn't want Kakashi worrying needlessly so I kept my thoughts to myself since we would address them today.

Tsunade-sama walks into the room and she smiles at us both.

"Ready to see my grandbaby?"

Kakashi holds my hand and I lay back on the examination table.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama we are ready."  
Kakashi is taking in every detail and he is slightly charging up his white chakra without even noticing it. I take his hand and kiss his fingertips to release some of that energy. It immediately dissipates and he looks at me and gives me a shy smile.

Tsunade-sama laughs lightly and says, "Is the famous Hatake Kakashi nervous?"

Kakashi quickly recovers and says, "Just anxious, Hokage-sama."

She gives him a smirk and then gets the machine prepared and begins to place the ultrasound probe where she had just put a glob of lubricating jelly. She spreads it around my already swollen belly and the images begin to show on the screen.

She focuses on one part and begins to find a good spot to get a clearer image when she suddenly stops and gasps.

I look at the monitor and freeze.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I had no idea what Tsunade-sama or Sakura were staring at on the screen because I couldn't tell what was going on by the image.

I was getting worried because both had their eyes fixed on the screen and no one was telling me anything.

"Sakura… Love tell me what is it? Please Love what is wrong? Are you alright?!"

Some tears were beginning to spill from her eyes and I kept looking at her then at Tsunade-sama and they were both on the verge of crying.

_What the hell is going on?!_

"Love please tell me!"

Sakura grabs my face by the chin and turns my head to the monitor. It is grainy and it is difficult to see but I can start to make out….

Tsunade-sama turns on the echo and I hear the fast rapid beating of a heart…. Then I hear the same fast paced beating of another heart following closely behind.

The images make sense now, there are two distinct little beating hearts on the screen.

I grip the examination table and it takes all of my strength to stay standing.

_Two… Kami... Twins…_

Sakura puts her hand on my shoulder and I turn around to see her face. I take off my mask and kiss her suddenly taking her and Tsunade by surprise.

"Oh Sakura…. Love…. I can't believe it… I love you… so… much. Our.. children… they're there… two!"

I kissed her with each breath I took and a look of relief passed through her eyes.

Tsunade-sama cleared her throat and I look up and she has the biggest smile on her face.

I go up to her and hug her and say, "I'm gonna have twins!"

She chuckles lightly and then I realize what I am doing and release her immediately, "I am so sorry Hokage-sama, I apologize for my abrupt action."

She laughs now and then says, "Kakashi I am glad that you are happy with the news of my grandbabies. Your reaction is something that I will never forget!"

She then mumbles something to the effect of '_The famous Copy Ninja losing his composure'_.

Sakura then says, "Okaa-san don't be like that!"

They both hug each other and then Tsunade-sama continues her examination.

They take measurements and see how far along she is and how the babies are growing.

"Kashi, it is too early to tell the sex of the babies, but we know that they are fraternal twins and they are both growing just fine."

I let out a breath that I didn't know that I was holding in and say, "Love as long as they are healthy, that is what's important."

I kiss the top of her head and then I kiss the swell of her stomach twice.

Tsunade-sama tells me that she will check again in one month and we can try to find out the sex of the baby then.

Before she leaves she tells us that we will need to be more careful, because with a twin pregnancy Sakura will get more tired easily and she will begin to show a lot more within a month.

She nods at us and leaves us in the room alone.

I cup her face and look into those beautiful emerald eyes.

"Sakura… I can't even begin to express how happy I am."  
"Oh Kashi, I love you so much…"

I kissed her softly and whispered, "Not as much as I love you. You have saved me in every way possible and now you are going to give me the greatest gift a man could ask for. I will cherish and protect my family till the end of my days."  
I place my hands on her stomach and send forth small amounts of chakra letting my children know that daddy will always be here for them.

Sakura begins to cry and I quickly wipe away her tears, "Love what is wrong?"  
"I'm just so happy… Kashi I never knew that a heart could be filled with so much love. She places her hands over mine and we both hold onto the slight swell of her abdomen. She whispers, "My darlings, Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything else in the world."

_I couldn't agree more. My family was my life and no one will ever take that away from me._

We walked out of the hospital and went back home to finish packing.

We were set to stay in Suna for about three weeks after the chunin exams and return with the medic nins that had passed the entrance requirements to attend the medical school.

Since Suna was our closest and strongest ally they were going to help us setup the new school before any other medic nins arrived from the other nations.

That night during dinner Naruto came over.

"Sakura-chan, are you ok? Teme here, told me that you had an appointment at the hospital today, is the baby ok?"

I smiled at her and she absolutely glowed with happiness.

"Dobe, look at her, do you think that she would look that happy if there was anything wrong?"

Sasuke actually hit Naruto on the back of the head, but then smiled at him.

Since Naruto wasn't officially the Hokage anymore, Sasuke wasn't as formal with Naruto and their friendship was a bit more obvious.

Sakura smiled at the both bickering back and forth and squeezed my hand.

"Umm guys… We got some news to tell you."  
They both stopped arguing and looked at her with an expectant look in their eyes.

I shifted a little and then said, "We are actually going to be having twins."

They both looked at us with shocked faces.

"T-Two… babies… in there?!" Naruto pointed at Sakura's stomach and then Sasuke walked up to her and said, "My offer still stands, ok. Both.. I will not abandon either of them.. no matter what."

Sakura let go of my hand and placed it on Sasuke's cheek and said, "I know… that is why we wanted to let you guys know first. Both of you are precious to us and we know that if anything were to ever to happen to me or Kakashi, the both of you will find a way to take care of our children for us."

"But Sakura-chan don't talk like that, especially now. We will all protect you and the babies with our lives if need be."  
I speak up and say, "Naruto don't forget that Sakura's life is tied down to mine and mine to hers. There will come a day that we will both be gone from this world and we just want the both of you to know that we are trusting you both with the most precious thing that we have in this world."

"Please Naruto, Sasuke, do this for us… promise me that you will protect my children…"

Sasuke is the first to say, "With my life."

Naruto simply says, "Believe it!"

* * *

A/N: Didn't want the chapter to end kinda sad and cryptic but it felt right to stop there. They will be on their way to Suna next chapter!

TWINS! oh the possibilities. After this story is over I might write a story about the twins when they are older! What do you guys think?!

Please review!


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 41

* * *

Sakura's POV

By the time that we all get to Suna we are all ready to hit the showers and take a long nap.

As we arrive at the gates of Suna, the Kazekage and his siblings welcome us. Garra-sama notices my exhaustion through his sand, that we apparently still have on our wrist, and offers to let us rest before discussing any official business.

Our team thanks him and he notices how protective Kakashi and Sasuke are of me. I instinctively hold my stomach but then I quickly remember that no one is to know of our pregnancy officially so I drop my hands to my sides. Gaara-sama raises a non-existing eyebrow and then furrows his brow as he concentrates his gaze towards my stomach, but thankfully says nothing.

Kakashi notices and distracts him by thanking him and saying, "Kazekage-sama thank you for your hospitality, our Hokage sends her regards to you and your village."

He hands him the scroll that Tsunade-sama gave us to deliver. Temari is by my side and we are both talking about the upcoming exams and then about when we can go to the hospital to review their new protocols.

We get to the guest housing and Gaara-sama's guards stand on alert outside. Our team is given rooms and Gaara-sama asks to meet us for dinner in a couple of hours at his home. We all bow to him and say, "Thank you Kazekage-sama."

Temari and Kankuro wave at us and then Tamari winks in my direction and says, "We will catch up later, Sakura!"

I smile in her direction and I catch the sly grin and wink that she gave me as she pointed at me and Kakashi.

I shake my head and wave her off, so we can go into our room and finally take a proper shower and get some sleep.

We walk into the room and we notice that this is not the usual foreign shinobi guest lodgings.

This room was… Nice!

The bed was big and comfortable and the colors on the walls were a soft green allowing the guest to relax.

Kakashi sighs and then says, "They gave us the dignitary suite…"

_Tamari, Tamari, I'm gonna have to thank her somehow..._

I smile at him and then go and check out the bathroom.

_Wow… this is a bathroom… emphasis on the word 'bath'._

It had a deep wide bathtub carved into the stone that could possibly fit three people.

Kakashi comes up behind me and leans into my ear and asks, "Do you want to take a bath with me… Sa..Ku..Ra?"

That sent shivers down my spine and I could only nod.

He ghosted past me and then began to let the water fill the tub.

He stepped out into the room to get some things from our bag and then came back in to turn off the water while he poured some oils into the bath water.

I wanted to get all the dirt and grime before getting in the bath so I opened up the huge shower door and began turning on the water to let it warm up a bit.

Kakashi began to peel away my clothes and he let my hair loose from its hair tie.

I managed to take off his mask, flak jacket, and shirt but he had to finish taking off his pants because I began to very sensually take off my breast bindings and then slide off my panties as I turned around very coquettishly and got into the shower.

The water was tepid, not hot or cold. Suna was hot enough and I didn't want to go into shock with a frigid shower.

I let the water wash away the dirt from my hair and run all over my body.

Kakashi's fingers began trailing down my spine as he turned me around so I could see him and gaze into his dark beautiful grey eyes.

I gasped… It amazed me how he could always manage to take my breath away with a simple look.

He took one of the wash cloths and lathered it up with some soap.

He began with my arms and made his way up to my collar-bone. I bent my head back and let the water fall right on my face for a second or two.

His hands would softly touch my back and then move up to support my neck as he ran the wash cloth over my sensitive breasts. I moaned at his touch and he began to kneel in front of me and then slide his hands down my back to my hips to my swollen stomach.

He kissed me there as the water ran over us like he was worshiping me.

His kisses were soft and full of tenderness.

I ran my fingers through his wet silver hair and he let out a low growl and took a small bit from the side of my hip.

"Oh Kashi…"

He got up and then he stood underneath the shower while my back was facing his front. I leaned back and he began to kiss me down my neck softly caressing me everywhere.

"Love… I need… you…" he managed to purr in my ear as his fingers slowly rubbed over my sensitive core.

I moaned and then bent slightly to give him better access.

His arms supported me and he slid into me slowly, relishing every moment.

He was not rough, he was gentle and his movements were full of purpose and feeling. He made love to me that way for Kami-knows how long. The torturous pace was unraveling me.

"Kashi… fas...faster...Please… love."

He let out a low growl and his pace became more urgent.

He placed kisses on the nape of my neck and I lost it right then and there.

"KASHI!, Oh don't stop… love… don't stop!"

Our slick bodies in perfect unison came at once and all I could do was slump into his embrace as my knees were about to give out.

Kakashi leaned us back into the spray of the shower head and then once we were clean he turned off the water. He carried me and then stepped out of the shower and he took us to the bath. He slowly lowered me into the water and then he sat right behind me so I could lean into him. The water was warm and smelled so good with the oils that he had placed into the water; it helped me relax even further.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I began to gently massage my beautiful wife's shoulders and make my way down towards her swollen belly that carried my children.

Since she started showing I made it a point to place both of my hands over her abdomen and tell my children a story or two while Sakura fell asleep in my arms every night.

Her scent still drives me insane but I manage to control myself when I focus on telling my babies a story so they can also drift off into sleep like their momma.

Sakura says that she likes hearing my stories and she knows that the kids are going to enjoy being told stories to be put to bed.

I know that she is drifting off because her arms are loose resting on my thighs and her head is more relaxed and resting on my shoulder. Her breaths are even and the room is quiet other than my voice gently telling my children about my father taking me to a lake when I was young.

I felt a slight kick on my right palm followed by two quick soft ones on my left.

_Did they… just...move?_

It felt like a slight flutter and then they were still.

Sakura was in a deep sleep by now, her lips were slightly parted and her heart rate normal and steady.

I gathered some white chakra on my fingertips on both of my hands and then slightly sent in the chakra into her stomach towards my children. I was absolutely still, waiting to see if there was a response coming from the kids. I sat there for a full two minutes with no response and I sighed and said, "Daddy is here, you are safe."

I sent some more, sending feelings of love, acceptance, and security.

I waited for another minute and then I felt a little spark connect with my fingertips.

Sakura moved a little, but with all of my feelings of comfort pouring into her she remained asleep.

I felt the second wave of small little jolts of chakra emanating from my unborn children.

I closed my eyes and then said a prayer to thank Kami that my children were able to recognize something so basic to any ninja as chakra, what worried me a bit was that they were still in the womb and were able to do this.

I sent some more comforting chakra and the small flutters and chakra jolts settled down.

The water was getting a bit cold so I picked up my wife and sat on the edge of the tub as I dried her off with a towel. I wrapped another towel over her so she won't be completely exposed when we left the warm bathroom. I held her with one arm and somehow managed to wrap another towel around myself. I took her into the bedroom and laid her on the mattress and covered her up as she continued on in blissful sleep.

I went to our packs took some clothes out for both of us and I changed into another jonin uniform.

I had already set out some protective seals when I came out here to get the bath oils before our shower. I placed some weapons in strategic areas in the room and then once I was finished I laid back on the bed on top of the covers and closed my eyes to rest for a couple of minutes as Sakura snuggled up closer to me.

I was in heaven knowing that my wife was happy and relaxed by my side and my children had just greeted me in their own special way just minutes prior.

* * *

A/N: Sorry so short of a chapter, but I think it's sweet and endearing. Thanks Prescripto13 for your awesome ideas. I swear you sometimes read my mind, or maybe you have a crystal ball, or a good way to hijack my files to see the chapter that I am working on. You rock as always, your reviews mean a lot to me. Thank you all for the new favorites, follows, and of course reviews.


	42. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 42

* * *

Sakura's POV

I feel some soft lips kissing my neck.

"Love…. wake up…. Sakura…. we are being summoned to the Kazekage's house."  
"ummm… too… sleepy…. Ka..shi"

_I was fighting consciousness and willing myself to go back to sleep, but his kisses were pulling me back and making me want other things… sleep was out of the question now… what is he… oh Kami that feels so good…_

"Kashi, that's not fair… you know I can't resist… ohh… that.."  
He continues kissing me and sending me small jolts of chakra to re-energize me.

I open my eyes and only see the top part of Kakashi's hair as he is now kissing my stomach and caressing my hips.

He looks up at me and then gives me a breathtaking smile.

I can see the physical beauty that most would find distracting but I see the subtle laugh lines that tell me that he usually smiles a lot underneath that mask of his. His teeth are straight but his canines are longer than what most people have. He sometimes growls in excitement when we are kissing and I run my tongue along his canines. His grey eyes are so deep, there is slight hints of dark blue speckles around the iris. I don't think that anyone other than me has ever taken the time to notice these things and it makes me feel extra special that he wanted to share his life with me and allow me into his heart.

His usual stoic, aloof self is something that he uses as a mask to others but his closest friends know that he is very caring and protective, even if it is shown in unconventional ways and from afar.

_I absolutely love this man_

He is still smiling and looking up at me and say, "Love, we need to get ready to go to dinner with the Kazekage."

I nod and run my fingers through his hair and I see his eye roll back in pleasure.

"Ughhhh…. Sakura… I.. you… know….I can't resist… you… when...you… aghhh"

He crawls up to me and kisses me urgently biting my lower lip gently.

"Ahhh Kashi….."

He continues to kiss me and then takes small bites as he kisses me down my throat.

As he begins to softly kiss my breasts we both feel a flare of chakra outside our door.

He groans into my chest and throws the blanket over me as he gets up to answer the door.

"Kakashi-sama, your escort is here for you and your team."

"Thank you we will be out shortly."

Once he closes the door he looks at me and then I begin to get dressed.

I finish getting ready in about 10 minutes and we are all out the door on our way to the Kazekage's home.

We are greeted by Tamari at the door and our small group walks in to the dining room.

The food was great and for the most part the conversation was pleasant. I knew that Gaara-sama had his suspicions but when he was about to ask, Kakashi gave him a subtle shake of the head and Gaara-sama nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Kakashi-san, would you mind coming to my office, I need to clarify something with you."

Kakashi looked at me and then Gaara-sama said, "I think my sister has plenty of things to occupy Sakura-san with. Please follow me."

Tamari walks up next to me and grabs my hand, "Come Sakura, we need to catch up."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I see that Tamari is going to be taking Sakura out on the town, so I glance at Sasuke and he gives me a slight nod and follows them at a distance.

I follow the Kazekage into his office and stand in front of his desk.

"Please Kakashi-san, have a seat."  
I sit in the chair that is in front of me and Gaara-sama leans back on his own chair and then says, "How far along is she?"

He knew and there was no point in hiding it from him. We would be here for three weeks and there would be a chance that someone would find out sooner or later. It was best to do it in a controlled environment.

"She is four months pregnant with my twins."

His eyes widen for a fraction of a second and then his face returns to the calm and collected demeanor that he always had.

"I see…. Tsunade-sama said in her scroll that Sakura was in a delicate condition right now, she didn't elaborate any further but I am glad that you trusted me with this information. She wrote about the recent attacks and about the upcoming inauguration of Naruto into office. Kakashi-san, is there a reason why Naruto did not ask any help from the other shinobi nations? Please I am interested in your own thoughts on the matter, so feel free to speak freely."

"With all due respect, Kazekage-sama, my thoughts on the political moves of my Hokage at the time are irrelevant, he made a decision that was best for Konoha and I would not oppose him in this matter. I can tell you however, that his intentions were not to underestimate the help that I am sure would have been gladly given by the shinobi nations, it's just that we needed to figure out where this threat was coming from and who the actual target was. As Tsunade-sama told you in her scroll, at the time of the attack it was not in Konohagakure's best interest to appear weak and without a leader. I can assure you that the time that Naruto filled in for Tsunade-sama, the village was protected and its economic ties were kept intact."

He chuckles lightly and says, "Kakashi-san as the Hokage's advisor, I can tell that you have a way to deal with political matters." He pauses and then looks up to me and says, "Thank you for being there for my friend. I don't have many, but I am glad that he has you too look to for counsel in times of need. Being a Kage… well there are not that many people who you can trust implicitly… but I am glad that he has you."

I bow my head and say, "I am humbled by your compliment Kazekage-sama, but Naruto is the son of my late sensei and I would counsel him whether he was Hokage or not. As for the situation with my wife… We do not wish to reveal her pregnancy as of yet. The perpetrators for this attack have not been caught and we do not wish to make her a target. If you would allow us, my guard is here to protect her during her stay. Uchiha Sasuke is part of that guard and I can assure you that he will be present at the chunnin exams, even though his main job is head of her protection detail. I ask for your permission to allow his team to wear their ANBU uniform to maintain the anonymity and not raise any questions about Sasuke."

"If he is ANBU trained, why is he taking the chunnin exams? His skill is already that of an elite, why would he not just accept the promotion?"  
I sigh and then shift in the chair, "Well, you see, he feels that he has not atoned for his past actions and would disgrace the uniform if he just took the promotion without earning the position much like any other ANBU agent has. He wants to go up the ranks just like anyone else to feel included. He has been alone for so long that he really is dependent on his camaraderie with his friends now."

He nods in understanding, "I know exactly how that feels. I will allow you this, and I will make sure that Sakura's pregnancy is not known to others. I must warn you that my sister has a way of finding things out, it might be best to let her know so she can better guard the secret."  
I stand and bow to him. As I am about to leave the Kazekage flashes before me and places a hand on my shoulder, "Kakashi-san, you deserve to be happy after everything that you sacrificed for the shinobi world. Congratulations to the both of you on the news of your pregnancy."

He let's go and then I bow again to him, "Thank you Kazekage-sama, and if you allow me to speak freely, I am sure that the same can be said to you for your own sacrifices. Be happy whenever you can. Our profession puts our lives at risk everyday and we must take happiness when we can get it."

I see his gaze become thoughtful and he only nods in acceptance.

"Good evening Kazekage-sama."

"Thank you Kakashi-san."

* * *

Sakura's POV

Tamari drags me out of the house and says that she wants to go to her favorite tea shop so I can try one of Suna's specialty sweets.

When she walks in the owner comes out and says, "Tamari-sama, a pleasure as always, would you like the usual set of tea and sweets?"

The older man looks at me with a warm smile and I see, who I presume to be his wife, come up along him and lead us towards the back to a private room.

She waves off her husband and says, "Come along Tamari-sama, I will prepare the best dishes for you and your friend."

The older woman's eyes are kind and she calls one of the waitresses to bring in the tea.

She places everything out for us and once the waitress leaves she says to me, "My my… You have a beautiful soul for someone so young. Your children will be blessed to have such a strong and loving mother."  
I gasp and Tamari's eye's widen but she stays still.

The older woman opens her hands and says, "Please allow me this, I felt it as soon as you walked in."

She keeps her hands open and I place my hands on top of her own.

A small blue light come from her hands as my chakra reacts to her, but it is comforting and light.

There is no sense of threat in the air around her.

"Your twins will be strong and will continue the work of their father, following the leader of your village. Your son will be one of your village's most renowned shinobi, far surpassing his father and his father before him. There is love in him that will be the cornerstone in all that he does. Your daughter will have your spirit and determination but will have her father's collectiveness and calm. Do not be surprised when her independent spirit leads her towards her own happiness. She will always keep to her ninja way but will never let go of those that she loves. Trust their teacher to lead them on this path for this is what I see for your children. You are truly beautiful, both inside and out my cherry blossom child."

I am completely speechless and Tamari only says, "Chiyoko-san…"

Chiyoko-san places a hand on top of mine and on Temari's shoulder and says, "My aunt must have held this girl in high regard, I noticed her unusual pink hair when they brought her and your brother back to the village all those years ago. Her coming here now, is no coincidence. There is no doubt in my mind that the spirits have chosen her and her family to bring peace to where they go. Please enjoy your meal and don't worry, it is on the house."  
She smiles brightly at the both of us and I am too stunned to say anything.

* * *

A/N: So I couldn't help it here is a sneak peak at the future lives of the Hatake Twins. I am outlining a story for them that I will post when I have some time in the future. I have school this summer and I haven't even finished this story for me to begin to worry about another one but I couldn't help it. This chapter felt like a good place to add a prophecy about the future. I felt that bringing Sakura back to Suna we could incorporate a stronger bond with both villages. The character of Chiyoko was meant to be the niece of Chiyo-sama. Chiyoko means: From Japanese 千 (chi) "thousand" and 代 (yo) "generations" and 子 (ko) "child".

If any one is interested in the Hatake Twin story and is willing to share their thoughts on where the story should go, please inbox me. I am always willing to use any suggestions. I have a certain plot in mind but nothing set in stone. I think it will depend on how this story ends. I do have their names and natures picked out which may or may not be revealed in the near future (wink, wink… if some of you have picked up the clues I have left you might be able to figure it out).


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 43

* * *

Sakura's POV

Tamari is as shocked as me and can only say, "Y-you… well… are… you?"  
I nod but I tell her that we don't want it known for safety reasons.

She immediately says, "Don't worry we won't discuss this until we are in a secure location, but we will discuss this, ok?"

"Yes, don't worry we will."

The waitress comes in with a tray full of different sweets and a couple of small bags of dried tea with a note attached to them.

I took the small card and read, "Please take this tea with you… they will help with morning sickness and any discomforts of pregnancy. We are honored that you graced us with your presence and we hope that we can meet again."

They were not signed and thankfully not addressed so if the card was lost no one could trace it back to me.

Tamari and I finished our sweets and we talked about things going on in the villages that were not classified and safe to talk about in public.

Tamari said, "So Sakura, how is married life?"

"I couldn't be any happier. I know it sounds like a cliché but I really started living when I met Kakashi. He is my everything and well… you know… it can only get better."

She smiles at me and then sighs, "Shikamaru and I want things to progress but I… well we are both from different villages and I don't see myself ever leaving here and he can't leave Konoha either. I really don't know where we stand anymore. I love him, and I know he loves me too, but I just don't know if we love our villages more than we love ourselves. Sakura what do you think?"

"Tamari, I can't tell you what to do. You and Shika have to work this out and either find a way to compromise or really look at your relationship and see if it can survive a long distance relationship. I understand that he will be head of the Nara clan and his presence is needed in Konoha, but ask yourself this… Can you live without him? What would you sacrifice for your love and happiness? Don't think about your villages when you ask yourself that because as shinobi we always put our villages first but as a woman… are you willing to let him go? If your answer is no then talk to your brother, he's the Kazekage for Kami's sake. I am sure that something can be worked out. When Naruto becomes Hokage our villages will be closer than ever, I don't see this becoming an issue if you don't want it to be."

She looks down at her hands and then sighs before saying, "You are right… I have to talk with Shika."

We finish our meal and head towards the door. I see that Chiyoko-san is waiting for me at the door and she bows to me and says, "My sweet cherry blossom, do not forget what has been said tonight, you are very blessed and even though I might not get to see the things that your children will accomplish, I know that both of our nations are in the right path."

"Thank you Chiyoko-san, I will remember and yes, your aunt was a great shinobi till the very end, she died an honorable death and I will continue to express my gratitude for having met and learned from her."

We stepped out of the tea house and I immediately felt the familiar chakra of Sasuke and the protection guard that Kakashi ordered to follow me around.

We walk towards the guest lodgings where Tamari says goodnight to me with a quick hug and she whispers in my ear, "I'll keep the secret but you must tell me more when we have more time. What Chiyoko-sama said… umm… I need to tell my Kazekage about it… I mean since it was a prophecy of a kunoichi from Suna. Is that ok?"

I smile at her and I say, "I think he figured my condition when we arrived." I lift my wrist and the light faded scarring of the 'love' kanji is slightly visible.

Tamari shakes her head and says, "He must think a lot about you and Kakashi-san for him to share his sand with you. He values you more than you think, he might not say it to you but he is demonstrating to you how he will forever consider you his allies with that one small offering of his most precious sand" She lifts up her own wrist and I can tell a long faded scar similar to mine and Kakashi's.

"If he knows, then this prophecy will undoubtedly create a long-lasting relationship with both of our villages."

She hugs me again and then disappears into the night.

I walk down the hall but I wait for the ANBU team to follow.

When they see me stop they come closer and I turn around and say to them, "Here guys these are for you. I hope you guys like some sweets." I hand Sasuke the box of sweets that Chiyoko-san gave us, but I keep the teas that were in a separate bag. They look down at the box like it was something foreign and I giggle.

"It's ok for guys to eat sweets too, but I will go into my room so you can feel more comfortable and enjoy them."

I giggle at their stiffening postures and walk into the suite.

I close the door and I can hear them opening the box and stuffing some of them in their mouths. I heard a soft groan and someone say, "whatever this is, it is so good".

I heard Sasuke's muffled "Hn" in agreement.

I notice Kakashi reading on the bed and I make my way to him.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura is obviously amused with the guard team outside eating sweets. I heard their conversation and I couldn't help but to chuckle myself.

I didn't care for sweets but I know some ANBU guys that secretly enjoyed them but wouldn't be caught dead eating them in front of anyone else.

She comes toward me and I see her rubbing her stomach gently. I move over and she sits next to me and I put away my book.

"Kashi, I need to tell you about something that happened at the tea house."

I was immediately worried for a second but nothing seemed to be out-of-place or the guards would have alerted me immediately.

"Love, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"Yes Kashi, I'm ok.. you see Temari took me to a nearby tea house because she wanted me to taste some of their famous sweets and the owner's wife happened to be Chiyo-sama's niece."

I nod at her words, I know that Chiyo-sama had been a great influence in her work and part of Chiyo-sama's notes is what helped Sakura create the seal that I have permanently on my heart.

She holds her stomach, cradling our children and then she places my hand over one of the babies and I begin to feel small little flutters. Her eyes widen and she smiles at me, "Kashi… did you… feel that?"

I nod and then I tell her what happened when she fell asleep in the tub.

She was surprised that they could even remotely express any chakra at this stage of development and was beginning to panic a little.

I flooded her with some comforting chakra and she calmed down but then she felt the response of the twins and I said, "Love, they might be really small and just developing but for them to have this ability in the womb, will only serve to astonish everyone with what they will be able to do as Shinobi of the Leaf."

She begins to cry and I don't understand why.

"Sakura, why are you crying?"

"Kashi… Chiyoko-san… the tea house owner's wife… well she immediately knew that I was pregnant and she asked to touch my hands. When I did my chakra reacted with hers and she prophesied something about the twins."

I was sitting up now and I pulled Sakura onto my lap and held her close.

I kissed her tears away and smoothed her hair.

"Love… tell me what she said."

I was worried that it was something bad and I kept praying to Kami that my children not have to bear the pain that I had to. I wouldn't want their lives to be marred by the pain and loss that I felt for so long.

She looked at me and her emerald eyes stared deep into my own and said, "Kashi… Our son will be one of the most renowned shinobi from our village, surpassing you and your own father. She said that Love will be his cornerstone in all that he does and he will continue your work under the leadership of our Hokage."

_My son… my son…_

I was processing what she was saying to me and I was amazed at the possibilities that my son would bring into this world. If love would be his cornerstone, I will do everything possible to make sure that he knows what love is and what it can do to change people for the better.

Sakura took my face into her hands and then said, "Kashi… Our daughter will be calm and collected like you but have my fiery spirit and determination. She will never let go of the people that she loves and that will be her ninja way."

_A daughter… I will have my princess to protect and to love… My daughter…_

Sakura continued, "Chiyoko-san told me that we should trust their teacher to lead them down this path… Kashi… Kashi?"

I was staring at her stomach trying to picture my daughter and my son inside her, both lives growing and developing inside of the person that I loved the most in this entire world.

"Kashi?"  
I look up at her and I say, "Love, Our children have known about love since they were conceived. My chakra has flooded your system time and time again. They respond to our chakra. They have my bloodline limit and they will need to know how to harness it from a very young age to be able to control their emotions before they are even in school. I will do everything in my power to continue to show them the true meaning of love so they can achieve these things on their own."

"Kashi… I know that you will, I'm just worried that someone might find out about this and try to target them in the future."

"That will never happen as long as I am alive."

She looks down and then says, "And if something were to happen to us? Then what?"

I grab her chin and then say, "Naruto and Sasuke will be there, and I will not put you or myself in any unnecessary danger for us to die before our children are grown up. This will be our mission from now on, ok?"

She nods and then says, "Tamari has to tell Gaara-sama about the prophecy since one of his shinobi prophesied it in Suna."

I nod and I tell her why he had asked me to stay.

She lifts up her wrists and then touches my own… We look at the fading scars and know why Gaara-sama could sense things.

She tells me what Temari told her about the sand and how he has only given his sand to his siblings for protection.

"I trust him Sakura. I am sure that he will keep this discreet and only the eyes of the Hokage will ever read that report. We shall deliver it ourselves to ensure that. I have a feeling that he might want to address this with us tomorrow, so why don't you get ready and let's go to bed."

She yawns when I say that and she heads toward the bathroom to change and brush her teeth.

By the time that she comes back to bed she is really tired but as she snuggles up close she whispers, "Love, the babies need their story."

I smile at her and give her a kiss on her head, as I wrap my arms around her waist, and begin to tell my children a story of when I signed my contract with the ninken.

When they were all asleep I began thinking about my son and my daughter.

Then it hit me like one of Naruto's Rasengan's...

_My daughter…. those punks will never lay a finger on her._

I began to plan the demise of any future suitor that had less than honorable intentions with my princess.

* * *

A/N: Ok so my last day of finals is tomorrow so I couldn't really put much more content tonight but hopefully I can brainstorm some more ideas tomorrow once I finish my back-to-back exams. The chunin exams are coming up and Sakura has lot's to do at the Suna hospital.

I thank you for your reviews and support, they are what keeps me writing this til 1-2 am sometimes.


	44. Chapter 44

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 44

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I kept thinking about how Sakura reacted to the children's use of chakra and began to wonder if their use of chakra at this stage was normal.

_I need to look into this when we get back to Konoha._

_Maybe I will ask Sakura about how normal newborns develop… if this isn't something that is usual then it might explain her panicked reaction. _

"Kashi…"

I look down at her sleeping form in my arms as she snuggled closer to me and smiles in her sleep.

I breathed in her scent and begin to slowly drift off into a dreamless sleep.

I wake up a couple of hours later and I begin to get ready for the preliminary chunin exams with Sasuke.

Today will be the written part and many will be weeded out without even getting into a spar.

Sakura is still asleep and I see her snuggle into my pillow and breathed in my scent and sighed in content.

I write her a note and leave it on the nightstand. I know Tamari will be coming to get her today to go to the hospital. I told her that the ANBU guard will be with her all day but they will not be a hindrance to her whatsoever.

I had instructed them of their primary objective before we even left Konoha, so they knew not to get in her way and always remain invisible, she will recognize their chakra signatures and will flare hers if she is ever in danger.

A very select group of ANBU agents knew of her pregnancy and they were now the only ones allowed to give her messages directly or call for her in our home or in the hospital.

The measures we took to hide the pregnancy so far have been effective since Yamanaka Ino hasn't found out yet. Naruto managed to keep his mouth shut and Hinata doesn't suspect a thing, unless she has used her Byakugan.

Sasuke is outside of my room waiting for me patiently in his normal shinobi attire.

He doesn't look worried at all, and I know that he is more than capable of passing this part of the exams with no problems. Me being there is just a formality.

"Good morning, Sensei.."

"Good morning, Sasuke. Ready for the exam?"

"Hn"

We walk down to the designated building and are escorted to the testing room.

Sasuke walks in with confidence but he lacks the arrogance that he held on the first exams. His look is determined and he sits at the very front of the room with everyone facing his back. Many shinobi prefer to sit in the back to watch the room for any possible threats.

Sasuke, has had ANBU training, my own personal version of ANBU training to top it off, and could assess any threat in a split second upon entering a room. I knew that he had three contingency escape plans and had already taken a mental picture of everyone within the room. He had sized up their abilities and he didn't consider anyone a threat. At his current skill level, all the chunin candidates could fight him head on at the same time and they wouldn't have a chance.

I respected his decision of being promoted just like all the other jonin and I have to hand it to him for having the patience of doing it this way.

I go up to the spectators room behind the one way mirror and take a seat. The other shinobi in the room murmured among themselves and were only silent when I turned around and raised an eyebrow in their direction.

I turned back around and pulled out _Icha Icha_ while the examination began in the adjacent room.

Sasuke had finished the exam in the first couple of minutes and then he did something that no one has done in any chunin exam that I have ever witnessed. He folded his finished exam and then sat on the desk and looked at the remaining candidates with a death glare.

I chuckled when I saw his actions and continued to read _Icha Icha_.

I had seen that "death glare" before and it was only used to intimidate his opponents; there was no killing intent behind it and that helped mask his chakra better.

One of the guest proctors from Kumo was even sweating when he approached Sasuke to ask if he had finished his exam.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and then flash stepped behind the proctor and put his exam neatly folded into the man's vest jacket before walking out of the room.

The surprised shinobi stood with his hand still outstretched before he figured out that Sasuke had left the room. The remaining candidates collectively breathed a sigh of relief and then furiously worked to finish the exam.

The candidates that were extremely flustered and couldn't regain their composure after being intimidated by one look were automatically told to leave the testing room.

_I think Sasuke did half of the work of the proctors by weeding out unreliable candidates with one simple look._

I attempted not to laugh, but failed miserably.

The other shinobi in the room looked at me and then I passed it off by pointing to my book and pretending that I was laughing at something that I read.

I had heard Naruto dare Sasuke into doing something crazy in the written portion of the exams before he left.

_This was priceless, Naruto would have to pay up when we got back to Konoha._

_Who would have thought that Uchiha Sasuke had a sense of humor in him._

_He played the dark and brooding type so well and for so long that no one could see the small cracks in the walls around his heart._

Naruto and him had become closer as friends during these last couple of weeks and without the pressures of Naruto being Hokage, Sasuke had time to just hang out with his friend once more.

_Things were finally getting back to normal… all we needed was to find Sasuke's old teammates and capture Kabuto._

I finish my chapter and I place _Icha Icha_ back in my pocket and head out the door and towards the Kazekage's tower. Sasuke would be done for the day and would head out to look for Sakura before lunchtime.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I had finished getting ready and had read the note that Kakashi left for me on the nightstand. Temari knocked on my door and yelled, "Sakura open up I brought breakfast!"

I let her in and she gives me bundled up breakfast bento.

It smells delicious and we begin eating in the small sitting room in the suite.

"Temari, I was going to ask you, how did you get us the dignitary suite?"

"Oh come on Sakura, you and Kakashi-san are legends around the shinobi nations. After everything that you guys did for the Allied Forces… this is the least we could do. Many shinobi here owe you their lives and plus you are one of my closest friends."

I smile at her and remember how much we bonded over the course of the war. There was no doubt in my mind that I cared for Tamari just as much as I cared for Ino, Hinata or Tenten.

She then asks, "So Sakura what is going on that you couldn't tell us about your pregnancy outright?"  
I sigh and I begin to tell her about what has gone on. I didn't reveal anything that Tsunade wouldn't have told Gaara, but she understood the importance of keeping it secret for the time being.

"My friend, I really don't know what to say to you, but I want you to be careful and know that while you are in Suna we will protect you with our lives."  
I smile at her and then I ask her about the hospital.

She begins telling me about all the improvements and the medics that she wants me to meet while we're there.

She puts her hands on her hips and says, "Don't go soft on them, if they are doing something wrong you tell them. They have the Kazekages direct orders to follow your instructions. If there is something that is missing, write it down and I shall give the list to Gaara-kun. My brother wants Suna to become a place where shinobi's can find quality health care and not be scared to come in. Our expertise is poisons and Gaara-kun has been gathering support to release some files to the public on antidotes. The council is fighting tooth and nail but his stance is firm. If we are going to stand by the old ways of thinking there will be no progress and many shinobi that need those antidotes would die in the progress. They just don't seem to understand that you have to give a little to take a little. Naruto-san has been a big influence on him, so I know that they will at least not argue when it comes to alliances with Konoha."

I nod and we finish up and head towards the hospital.

I take a lab coat to hide my stomach and then I pull out a scroll and begin to take notes on what I see that is good and what can be improved.

The medics that I met with were happy to see me, some of them had assisted me that time that I had to extract poison out of Kankuro. They were most eager to ask me questions and give their own suggestions on how the hospital could be improved.

I had an idea and I wrote it down to ask Gaara-sama about it later.

I wanted to see if there was a way that current medics could take a short-term course on innovative techniques in the field of medicine to keep up their current levels of knowledge. Most medic nins were like me, workaholics and they almost always had an insatiable hunger for new knowledge and new medical skills. I am pretty sure that our Kage's would agree but I need to run it by them first.

By lunch time Tamari takes me to a small little food vendor and the owner quickly bows to her and begins taking her order.

"Oh Sakura, you have to try their takoyaki and the yakitori is to die for."

The owner looks up at me and then walks around the cart and bows deeply to me, "Forgive me, but are you Sakura-sama, the one that healed the majority of the Allied Forces?"  
I look a bit startled and I feel the chakra signature of my ANBU guard within a couple of feet from me. I slowly nod and the food vendor continues to bow and says, "Sakura-sama, I… My son… you healed him and helped out my niece who was in the last major battle as well. They are both alive because of you. You have my eternal gratitude…"

I hold out my hand and place it gently on his shoulder, "Please don't… I don't… look I was just doing my job… I am a medic and my job is to heal the wounded, regardless of their village affiliation. I am glad to hear that your son and niece are in good health, but you don't have to do this."

He tentatively looks up at me and says, "Sakura-sama, they told me that a beautiful woman with pink hair was the reason that our forces survived. You deserve all the gratitude that one could give, how could I ever repay you?"

I saw that he wasn't going to let this go, so I thought for a minute and then said to the man, "If you want to repay me then go out into this very village and do something to help improve it in some way. It doesn't have to be big, it could be something so simple as helping any orphan child not feel alone or abandoned. Look into helping teach the next generation all the good things that your generation could offer. Keep good traditions going and if you see an injustice don't stand by and let it happen, do something about it. This is the way that you could honor the fallen and make their deaths mean something for the living."

He nods and then bows again and says, "I shall do as you say, Sakura-sama. He turns to his cart and hands me a plate of food. Thank you Sakura-sama, I will never forget this."

I turn to pay him but he absolutely refuses. I look around and I see a small child dirty and alone down an alley.

I turn to look at one of the ANBU guards and ask him to hold the plate for a second. I walk into the alley and crouch down some to get a look at the childs eyes.

_They are a sky blue that reminds me so much of Naruto._

I smile at him and ask him if he is hungry. He nods and then I stretch out my hand in his direction.

He looks at my open palm and then he looks at me. I smile gently at him and he slowly comes out.

He is filthy but I can feel some of his rib bones sticking out of the frayed shirt.

He comes to me and I ask him if it is ok if I pick him up. He nods and I gently grab hold of him in my arms.

I walk back to the stand and Tamari see's what I am about to do and pulls out a stool from one of the nearby carts. I sit on it and hold him in my lap.

"What is your name sweetie?"

"Daisuke…"

"Well hello Daisuke, my name is Sakura."

His eyes light up and he says, "Like the cherry blossoms?"

I laugh and nod, "Yes, like the cherry blossoms."

He looks down and then says, "I have never seen a real cherry blossom before but I saw a picture of it once. Your hair is the same color!"

He pauses for a second and then says, "It's pretty."

"Why thank you Daisuke. I know that your name means great helper, would you mind helping me finish this meal with me? It is far too much for me and I don't think I could finish it all by myself."

The ANBU guard hands me back the plate and steps back.

Daisuke huddles closer to me when he sees him but relaxes when he steps back."

The little boy looks down at the food and his eyes widen, I look at him and say, "Well go on, the food is gonna get cold. Help yourself."

He smiles and then begins eating. Between bites he says, "Sakura-hime, who are they?" He points at the ANBU guard that is left by my side. The other's had disappeared into the shadows once they felt that there was no immediate threat.

I look at him and I say, "Well they are some friends of mine that are here to help me in case I need anything or if I trip or fall and get hurt."

I know that what I just said was the biggest understatement of what ANBU do, but a child doesn't need to know that.

He continues eating and says, "Why do they wear funny masks, if they are your friends wouldn't you want to see their face?"  
"Oh I know what they look like underneath already, it's more fun this way… I can try to guess who is who."  
"Like a game?!"

I laugh and say, "Something like that."

I look at the food vendor who is just staring at me having a normal conversation with a dirty orphaned child.

I ask him to bring me a washcloth and a small bucket of water and some soap.

He nods and silently does what I ask him. I look at Tamari and ask her to get me some clean clothes for the boy from the shop across the street.

I wait for Daisuke to finish eating and when he is done he looks at the plate and then big tears well up in his eyes.

I am alarmed and say, "Daisuke… what is the matter? Why are you crying?"

"I finished the food and now you are going to go hungry and not have anything to eat!"

I shushed him and place a kiss on his dirty tear streaked cheek.

He looks up at me as if no one has ever kissed him before.

"Sakura-hime…. you… what was that…?"

"Well Daisuke you have called me Sakura-hime for the last couple of minutes, if I am a princess then I would have to kiss a handsome prince and make his wish come true."

He blushes a little and I tell him to come with me.

I take him behind the food vendor's stand near another alley and I grab the washcloth, soap, water, and the clothes that Tamari bought. My ANBU guard follows me and I ask him to stand guard at the entrance of the alley.

I kneel by Daisuke and tell him that if I am going to make his wish come true he needs to help me by getting cleaned up a bit.

He looks at me and then at the water bucket.

I smile at him and say, "Please, for me?"

He gives me a slight smile and then I help him out of his dirty shirt and begin to wash him right there in the alley. I make quick work about it so I wouldn't embarrass him and then I get him to put on the new clothes.

This boy looks like a completely different kid now. His sandy brown hair is still wet but his eyes sparkle and his grin is plastered on his face.

I pick him up once more and take him back to the food vendor.

"Sakura-hime is it your turn to eat?"

"Oh don't worry about me, I have a proposition for you and this vendor here."

The food vendor looks at me and then gives Daisuke a small smile.

He is remembering what I had just told him a few minutes ago on how to repay me.

I reach into my pocket and I hand Daisuke a small bag full of coins.

"Daisuke do you know how to count money?"

"Baa-chan helps me with my coins but she is sick most of the time so I try to find what I can for the both of us."  
_Baa-chan… he even sounds like Naruto…_

"Well I am going to give you this money here, it is enough for three weeks of food for you and your Baa-chan. The vendor here…"  
He realizes that I was asking for his name and says, "Hideki…"

_Hideki… how appropriate… must be a sign_

"Hideki-san will be able to feed you and your Baa-chan with this money, but you have to help him out too. Give him an honest day's work and I am sure that he will continue to help you out."

I smile at him and then at Hideki whose warm smile is looking at the boy nods in agreement.

I tell Daisuke that I have to go for now but I will be back here tomorrow to see him and Hideki-san.

He grabs hold of my hand and then tugs at me so I can kneel beside him.

When I do he gives me a kiss on the cheek and then turns around and runs towards his home.

He yells, "Thank you Sakura-hime. Hideki-san I will be back tomorrow to help you!"

I get up and Tamari is there to help me steady myself on my feet.

Hideki-san comes around again and bows deeply to me.

"Sakura-sama, Kami is giving me this sign after you just asked me to care for an orphaned child. I shall honor our agreement and I shall look out for him from now on.

I bow to him as well and I say, "Hideki-san your name means great opportunity, I take this as a sign that this child will grow up to be fine young man after all. Just remember that little acts of kindness have great ripples in how a life can turn out to be."

My brother's face comes to mind and I miss Naruto so much already.

I begin to walk with Tamari back to the Kazekage's tower and as we leave, Sasuke turns to ask, "Sakura, how do you do that?"

I look at his masked face and say, "What do you mean?"

"You know… what you just did right now… you could have possibly changed that child's life forever and you are just walking on like nothing happened?"

I smile at him and I say, "Out of everyone here you should know how one decision can change your life. You and Naruto are very similar in many ways and the both of you had rough childhoods. If I can help a single child by giving them a plate of food and clean clothes to help them start something out in their lives then I know that I am living by the Will of Fire."

I smile at him again and I have to stop for a second. The babies both sent out a stronger flare of chakra just then.

Tamari and Sasuke are alarmed but I tell them not to worry. They take me into a side street and Sasuke takes off his ANBU mask, "Sakura… are you ok? What was that?!"

I look at Tamari and she notices that some people might come into the street so she goes to the entrance to stand guard while I talk with Sasuke.

I grab his hand and place it on my stomach and he automatically feels the babies flutters followed by a slight jolt of chakra.

His eyes activate the Sharingan subconsiously and he removes his hand from my stomach as if burned.

"What?…. How?... How is that even possible?"

He looks at me and then realizes that his Sharingan is activated and is about to deactivate it but I stop him and say, "Don't Sasuke, just wait… No one other than me and Kakashi know... but it's the babies, they have some sort of ability to use chakra from inside the womb. Look at me with the Sharingan and tell me what you see… Please I need to know that they are ok and this is not harming them… I have… never heard of babies in the womb to have this ability."

He see's my panicked look in my eyes and he slowly begins to examine me with his Sharingan.

He deactivates it and then looks at me and says, "I am not a Hyuga so I cannot see the chakra pathways but I can sense two distinct powerful chakra centers inside your womb. There is a pureness to the chakra that they are radiating, it is similar to Kakashi-sensei's but it seems that they cannot focus or harness it yet. Sakura… this is amazing…"

He lifts up his hand again silently asking to touch them again and I nod.

He slowly and delicately places his hand where it had just been and he felt a small flutter followed by a decisive kick. His eyes soften and then they sparkle with wonder and he gives me a genuine smile.

He then says something that surprises me, "Hey little ones… I am Sasuke and one day I will become your sensei."

I gasp as I remember the prophecy and then he says, "Well… only if your mom and dad agree."

His smile is disappearing and he begins to withdraw his hand as if I had just rejected him.

I place my hand over his and then I say, "I would be honored if you were their sensei one day."

He looks at me and then see's the tears in my eyes.

He doesn't know why I am crying and I cannot tell him the prophecy just yet.

I then hug him and say, "Sasuke, I know that you love my children already and I can feel that they will love you back. They are very responsive when they want to be."

I pull back and Sasuke gives me another smile.

Tamari asks from the street entrance, "Sakura are you ok to go back now?"

I clean my tears and then I say, "Yeah let's go, but can we stop and get something to eat before we head back?"

Tamari laughs and then says, "Of course Sakura-_hime_!"

We both laugh and Sasuke goes back to following us along with the ANBU guard.

* * *

A/N: This chapter wrote itself. I wasn't planning on going down this route but the story just called out to me and I had to write it down. I thought about having the prophesy begin here in Suna with Daisuke and Hideki. Sasuke and Daisuke are just adorable in this chapter! Hope you like this so far! Thanks for the reviews!


	45. Chapter 45

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 45

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I arrive at the Kazekage's tower and go up to his office. I knock on his door and I walk in when I hear him give me permission to enter.

"Kazekage-sama, I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"No Kakashi-san, I was actually going to send someone to summon you in a bit. Temari will be coming with Sakura-san after lunch to give me an update on the goings on of the hospital and then review the medic nin's applications for entrance to the medical school."

"I was hoping to also speak with you about something that happened yesterday with Sakura and Tamari-san."  
He sits a bit straighter and then says, "Please sit down."

I take a seat in front of his desk and he says, "Tamari told me about what Chiyoko-san said yesterday. I know that this is a personal matter but since it was one of my citizens I had to have been made aware."  
"I completely understand that and we don't have a problem with you knowing. Sakura and I are worried that if this gets out though, our children might be targeted, well more than they will already will be."  
"Yes, I understand that the both of you are high-profile shinobi and you must take precautions more than most shinobi would never think about. I will write a message to Tsunade-sama, assuring her that although a prophecy was made in Suna and we hold the official documentation, we will keep the information sealed until your children are of age. I take it you would want to deliver the message yourself?"

"Hai, Kazekage-sama."

"It will be done, Kakashi-san. While we wait for my sister and Sakura-san to arrive, tell me how the preparations are going for Naruto's inauguration?"

"We have most things prepared but we wish to capture the attackers before he takes office but we have increased security regardless."

"That's good, let me know if there is anything that we can do to help. I have told the council that I will be taking a diplomatic mission to welcome the Hokage of Konohagakure but I wish to keep this a surprise for Naruto. Will informing you be sufficient to give you proper security notice?"  
"Hai, Kazekage-sama. My ANBU teams will be heading security for the whole village during that week."

"Good. On another note, Kankuro told me what Uchiha Sasuke did in the written exam."  
I tried to figure out if he was upset or not but Gaara's face was unreadable.

I rub the back of my head and say, "Yeah who knew the kid had a sense of humor, huh?"  
He smiles a bit and says, "I take it he is getting along with Naruto then?"

"Yeah their bonds of friendship have been slowly mending over the last couple of weeks."

"That is good, Naruto has that kind of power to draw out the best in people."

We hear a knock on the door and then Gaara asks them to come in.

Matsuri comes in and brings in a tray with tea and bows to Gaara and then to me, "Kazekage-sama, Kakashi-san, Temari-san is on her way to the office and will be here shortly."

Gaara nods in her direction and watches as she heads to the door.

When she gets there his gaze softens and he says, "Matsuri-chan… Thank you.."

She blushes a bit and then walks out of the room.

I turn to look at him and he notices how my eyes had widened a bit.

He smiles and then says, "I seem to remember someone saying that we must take happiness when we can get it."

I smile and shake my head and say, "Well everyone has to start somewhere…"  
The door is then opened and Tamari walked in followed by Sakura. I felt the Leaf ANBU station themselves along the rooftops above us.

Gaara stands up and says, "Sakura-san, I hope that everything at the hospital went well."

I stand up from my seat and have Sakura sit down so she could rest.  
"Hai, Kazekage-sama. I have compiled a list of some things that can be improved and the things that they are excelling in. I was really happy to see some familiar faces there."

She hands him the scroll and then tells him about possibly having a course for already trained medic nins to take when they want to refresh their skills or learn new techniques.

He thinks about this and says, "It makes perfect sense to me, Sakura-san. If Tsunade-sama is willing to incorporate it into the curriculum or find a way where maybe one of you could travel to the shinobi countries then it would benefit a lot more medic nins without them having to travel. I would certainly approve of my medic nins attending."

"If you would allow me to send a message to Tsunade-sama I could explain this to her and be able to give you an answer before we leave from Suna."

"Of course, Sakura-san. If you need to get in contact with your Hokage just let me know and I will send someone from the aviary to come and get you so you can send any message that you wish."

"Thank you Kazekage-sama."

* * *

Sakura's POV

Tamari takes a seat on a nearby couch and then says, "Gaara-kun, I think that part of the prophecy is already being fulfilled."

We all look at her and I say, "Tamari what do you mean?"  
"Oh come on Sakura, you heard what Chiyoko-san said. You and your family would bring peace to where you go. What you did for those two was amazing. You have an aura about you that I hadn't seen before."

I begin to think about what she is saying and then I remember what Sasuke said as well.

Kakashi's hand is on my shoulder and he gives it a gentle squeeze but looks at Tamari and says, "Tamairi-san, please elaborate."

Tamari begins telling them what I did for Daisuke and Hideki-san.

"You sure have a way with children Sakura. I wanted to see what my brother thought about this but I want to take you to Suna's orphanage. I want to see if there is anything we could improve there. If we are doing this in the hospitals, why not the orphanage? Gaara-kun here funds the orphanage with village funds and then gives part of his own personal salary for the upkeep. I know that this would be a great thing for you to help us with while you are here. What do you think Gaara-kun?"

"Tamari, you know how I feel about the orphanage and if there is anything that Sakura-san would suggest that would help, I would make sure that it is done."

He looks at me and then I say, "It would be an honor Gaara-sama."

He smiles at her and she relaxes a bit.

We begin to go over applications for the school and I tell Gaara-sama what we are looking for in potential medic nins.

He takes notes and then gives me a couple of suggestions on candidates that he thinks have great potential. Kakashi is going over the candidates personnel files to see if there are any potential risks in taking them into Konoha.

We might be allies but Hidden Villages took their security as one of the pillars of their government. When the school was formed and the shinobi nations offered spots for their medic nins they knew that we would be conducting our own personal background check on them. Gaara-sama didn't seem to mind since it was just for the potential candidates and allowed free access to the non-classified files for us to look over.

Dinner time came and Matsuri knocked on the door informing us that she had set up some food for us in the conference room next door.

I thank her and I ask if I could take some plates of food to my guard upstairs. She already came prepared with four packaged meals in a bag.

Kakashi took them from me and said that he would take them to them himself.

_Silly man… like I couldn't climb the walls to the rooftop if I wanted to._

I say nothing because I know that he just does this because he takes my safety seriously and he would never forgive himself if anything happened to me and the children.

We eat our dinner and I ask Gaara-sama if he would mind if I took the next morning off to visit the orphanage in the morning and then visit Daisuke.

He said, "Sakura-san, you are free to move about Suna. I will know immediately if you are in trouble and my sand will protect you, even if I am not near, if you are in danger."

I look down at my wrist and rub a finger over the faded scar. "We are very grateful for your trust that you have placed on us, Gaara-sama."

"Think nothing of it, I am glad that we have this relationship. If you excuse me I will take my leave early and see you tomorrow afternoon."

We bow to him as he leaves the room and Tamari walks over with us to the building where we are staying. Before she leaves she tells me that she will be sending a message to Shika tomorrow morning.

If I wanted to send Tsunade-sama a message then she will make sure that the fastest hawk is sent tomorrow morning.

I thank her and go inside the room where Kakashi is waiting for me.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura walks into the room and I immediately go up to her as she locked the room door and I pick her up and take her to the bed.

She starts running her fingers through my hair absent-mindedly and then sighs into my shoulder. I sit with her on the bed and say, "What's wrong love, you have been tense since before dinner?"

I bury my nose in her hair and then take a deep breath. Her scent is stronger today and she keeps rubbing her stomach gently.

"Kashi… the twins sent a jolt of chakra through me while I was walking back to the Kazekage's tower. It wasn't painful, it just took me by surprise and Sasuke noticed and… well I placed his hand on my stomach and the kids reacted to him as well. They sent some chakra into him and… well… his Sharingan activated at the touch."

I tensed up for a second but she places a hand on my cheek and says, "Love it was an automatic reaction, he didn't hurt me in any way. I… I asked him to see with his Sharingan if he could tell anything abnormal or see if the use of the babies chakra was hurting them in any way."

I relax a bit but my mind is now going over different scenarios about my children inadvertently hurting themselves with this undeveloped and unfocused chakra of theirs. If Sakura was worried then this must not be a normal part of neonatal physiology.

"He said that their chakra is like yours but theirs is very pure but unfocused. He said that they can't harness it yet but I am worried. I have never seen this in babies before. I want to let Tsunade-sama know so she can begin to research it."

I nod and then I tell her to write to Tsunade-sama and have her start with any records of my birth. If this was because of my bloodline limit maybe my mother had similar symptoms during the time she was pregnant with me.

She nods and then she says, "Kashi, remember how Chiyoko-san said that we would have to trust our children's sensei to lead them down the right path…"

I nod and then she continues, "Well… when Sasuke had his hand on my stomach he spoke to the babies and told them that he will one day become their sensei."

I am a little taken aback by her words and then she says, "Love, he said it with such certainty, like it was his duty to do this and his words were sincere. I almost cried because I was remembering the prophecy and he began to doubt himself again because he thought I was upset at what he said. I told him that I would be honored if he was their sensei. Do you think I did the right thing?"  
I think about what she said and then I think about how much Sasuke had changed since that day when we brought him back.

My mind automatically begins to list the reasons why this would be good or this would be bad.

Ultimately, my heart makes the final decision and I look at Sakura and I say, "Yes, love I will trust him, we have already told him that we would trust our children's lives to him and Naruto, but we should not let anyone other than the Hokage know about the prophecy. I don't want word to get around and I don't want this to cloud Sasuke's judgement in the future training of our children. We also need to find out about the children's chakra flares. If this is not normal in infants then we need to make sure how their chakra systems work. I suggest we ask Hinata-chan to help us once we get back."

She sighs again and then says, "I agree with you, but we should write this in a scroll that has a high level seal so no one other than the Hokage could open it. I suggest we ask Gaara-sama to seal it with his official seal."

She gets up from my lap and then sits by the desk and begins to write everything that she needs to say to her shishou.

She comes to bed once more and I open up my arms to her as she crawls into bed with me. I hold her close and I smooth out her hair as I place kisses on her forehead.

I place my hands on her stomach and begin to tell my babies a story of how my father taught me how to fish with only a kunai and a piece of ninja wire.

My family falls asleep in my arms and I then place my hands on Sakura's abdomen and begin to probe my chakra into my children's tiny bodies.

I can sense the purity of their chakra and how strong it feels like as it intertwines with my own.

I slowly release it and I begin to wonder how Sakura's scent correlates to their chakra activity.

_Maybe her emotions are triggering it?_

_Or, maybe they are harnessing the emotions that they feel around them?_

_I can manipulate emotions depending on what I can feel, maybe they are the opposite?_

_Maybe they can take the emotions around them and change them into something else?_

Right now I wanted to hurry home to find some answers. Hopefully these next couple of weeks go by fast.

I don't want Sakura to worry about our children if she doesn't have too.

* * *

A/N: Things are moving along in Suna and they will be heading home soon. Hopefully Tsunade-sama can have some answers by the time they get back.

Please review!


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 46

* * *

Sakura's POV

I wake up before Kakashi, which was actually surprising, he usually never sleeps in.

He had his arms around me and some of his hair fell atop the left side of his face, hiding his scar.

_He looks so peaceful in his sleep._

I brush some of his hair off of his face and gently caress his cheek.

He leans into my touch and slowly opens his eyes.

Kakashi whispers, "Hey beautiful."

He then smiles at me and my heart skips a beat.

He leans into me and our foreheads touch as he closes his eyes again and holds me tighter before letting me go.

"Sakura… how are you this morning?"

I snuggle into his chest and say, "Umm.. I feel better today. I need to go and find Temari so we can get Gaara-sama to seal the scroll and we can send it to Tsunade-sama. I have to go to the orphanage and then I want to see Daisuke. He said that his grandmother had been ill so I want to see if I can see her and give her check up."

Kakashi breathes in my scent and then just sighs.

He has been doing that more often than usual.

"What are you and Sasuke going to do at the exams today?"

"Oh… yeah well it's the sparring rounds today. He should do fine. I'm probably going to finish with the security plans and new ANBU protocols regarding PTSD."

"So you brought the medical scrolls that I gave you from Konoha?"  
"Of course, I really appreciate you helping me implement these new policies. I think that they will help so many of our comrades."

I snuggle closer into his chest and his arm tightens around me.

"I love you Kashi."

He looks down at me and raises my chin with his hand.

Those hypnotizing dark grey eyes look deep into mine and I am completely lost in his gaze.

"And I love you, Sakura…"

He holds my gaze for a few moments and then the kids let out a burst of chakra that surprised me again.

Kakashi's eyes widen and there is a flash of worry; he says, "Was it this strong yesterday?"  
"Umm, no…"

He immediately sends a wave of relaxing feelings into me and the kids settle down.

He keeps his hand on my stomach and is looking at it with a thoughtful gaze.

He looks up at me and then says, "Sakura how much do you know of shinobi prodigies?"  
"Ummm, I don't know… what do you mean?"  
"I mean do you know if any of the pregnancies of any of Konoha's clans have any similarities? Do the child prodigies have a different or difficult birth or gestation?"

"The only one that I can think that is different is the Inuzuka's, their gestation period is different and they display different symptoms than any of the other clans that I know of. The Hyuga's and Uchiha's have always been too secretive and most of their births were at the clan compounds."

His gaze darkens for a bit and then he shakes his head almost to himself.

"Kashi what are you thinking…"

"Love if the kids have my bloodline limit and they have your chakra control… Sakura, I was considered a prodigy and had graduated from the academy before most children knew how to climb a tree. Maybe…"

"But Kashi this isn't normal… They shouldn't know to gather enough chakra… I mean they don't even know what it should be…"

"Love I know that you are scared but we will find out what this is and… I'm sorry Sakura…"  
"Kashi this isn't your fault…"

"But it is… this is my bloodline limit… I should have… I should have known before we started a family… I hadn't used it since I got the Sharingan and in all honesty I had no idea that it would affect you during your pregnancy."  
"But Kashi, you would not have known… no one would have… I mean your parents are not here…"

"That's exactly the point Sakura!"

He raised his voice and I just looked at him in surprise, tears starting to sting in my eyes.

I instinctively hold my stomach in a protective embrace.

_Did he not want our children?_  
He looks at me then he realizes what I must have been thinking.

"Kami- Sakura… I am sorry…. I didn't mean to raise my voice. I love you and the kids more than anything else in the world… It's just that I was thinking about my mother just now. She died a couple of days after she had me….."

I take his hands in mine and lay my head on his chest.

"What if… What if she died after childbirth because of me…"  
I look up at him and I take hold on to his face so he wont look away.

"Kakashi look at me. You do not know the circumstances of the delivery, or of your mother's health. You cannot make assumptions on such a small thing."

"But their chakra is getting stronger… your scent is stronger… What if it harms you… what if it harms them? I could not live with myself if that were to happen."  
There he was, reverting back to his previous ways of thinking. I had to pull him back to me to now. I refuse to let him to go back to his self-loathing ways.

"Kakashi I love you and we will figure this out. You said so yourself. So snap out of it! I mean it! I am completely in love with you and my children. I don't think that our own children know what they are doing right now and yes, I'll admit it this has surprised me, but it is because I haven't seen it before. Now take your own advice and stop thinking about this that way. Use that genius brain of yours to think about this in another way."

He looks at me and then he feels the kids chakra flaring again.

I place his hands on my stomach and I say to him,"Kakashi, let the kids know that everything is ok… That they can calm down now…"  
I don't break my gaze and he thinks about what I said and then realization dawns on him and he visibly calms and then takes a deep breath and releases some chakra into me. The kids settle down and I feel relaxed and at peace.

"Kashi… it's the emotions around them that charges them up huh?"  
"I think you might be right… they don't know how to control them so when it gets too much for their small bodies they just release it unconsciously. Love when we are out, I want you to keep your emotions as calm as possible, if we are together I will send the kids enough chakra to control it. It's what we can do until we get back to Konoha and get some answers."

I kiss him and then I tap him on the head.

"Now there is the genius brain of my husband at work. Now let me get ready so I can send this scroll to Tsunade-sama. And you get ready… I know that you used to be perpetually late all the time, but since you married me you haven't been late once. I have to keep appearances up, they might think that I'm slacking off as a wife!"

I grin at him and then wink in his direction as I begin to undress in front of him.

_That did it._

He came back to reality at once and flashed to my side and hungrily kissed my neck.

"Kashi! Love…."

"Oh no you don't… you can't just wink at me like that and expect me to sit still."  
I laughed and I could feel his grin as he kissed my collarbone.

He was about to pick me up when we heard a knock on the door.

"Sakura! I know you're in there, we have to go if you are going to send your scroll! Plus Sasuke has been standing outside waiting on Kakashi-san like a poor fool."

I look at Kakashi and he has a defeated look on his face.

I get on my tiptoes and then pull on him so I can reach his ear and whisper, "Go love, I promise to make it up to you later tonight." I take a quick bite of his earlobe and he almost groans out. He bites his knuckles instead and then lets out a deep breath and says, "Ok love… tonight" He then looks at me and gives me a mischievous smile.

_Oh how this emotional morning started._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura left with Tamari and I headed outside to meet up with Sasuke.

"Hey Sensei… I take it Sakura told you about yesterday?"

"Yeah she mentioned something about that… Have you ever heard about that before?

"Not that I am aware."

We walk to the training grounds and I then hesitantly ask, "Did Itachi's or your birth's seem any different than anyone else in your clan?"

"..."

Sasuke looks down and then lifts his gaze to the sky and takes a deep breath. He thinks about what I said and then he says, "Sensei, the only reason why you would be asking me this, out of all people, would be because you suspect that it has to do with either a bloodline limit or because they will be prodigies."

_Boy this kid was smart…_

I nod and then I say, "I'm sorry Sasuke I shouldn't have asked."

"No, Sensei it's ok. I made my peace with my brother… About my mother's pregnancies… well I know that the clan has kept their own private records… I think we could go and check it out when we get back home."

"We don't have to if you are not ready… we can try to find other ways."  
"It's for Sakura and the kids right? If getting that information will protect them in some way, we will go as soon as we return to Konoha. I'll be alright Sensei..."

I noticed his pause and I say, "We will all be there for you Sasuke, you don't have to go into that place alone."  
"I have to face my ghost's sooner or later, but I would appreciate some company if you insist."  
He gave me a small smile and then entered the testing area to take his place among the other candidates.

I saw the way that he assess the remaining candidates and he tried to hide a knowing smirk.

He wasn't as arrogant as he used to be but I had to hand it to him, he was the most skilled shinobi on the field.

His spar ended in under two minutes and that is because Sasuke didn't attack first. He just stood there for a full minute in a defensive stance blocking shots with one hand.

_It reminded me of my first spar with Naruto when he was a genin._

I knew he would advance to the next round so I made my way to the indoor training building for the second round spars. I sat in the spectator room again and began reading some scrolls.

_I am pretty sure that the second round will be the same as the first._

* * *

Sakura's POV

Tamari drags me out of the room once Kakashi opens the door and we head towards the Kazekage's tower so Gaara-sama could seal the scroll for us. After we sent the hawk we headed towards the orphanage that was just a couple of blocks down the street.

When we get there I notice that for the most part the place is clean, there are plenty of beds that have warm blankets and the children are lining up for breakfast.

Once the kids see Tamari they all run to her and they begin to shout and say, "Tamari-san, where is Gaara-sama?" "Is he gonna come and play with us?" "Tamari-san did you bring us some sweets?"

_These kids are sure fond of Gaara-sama._

She looks at me and then the kids look in my direction.

"Hey guys, I would like you to meet a good friend of mine, her name is Hatake Sakura. She is from another village where there are so many trees in the forest that no one could ever tell that there is a village there."

The kids approach me and they say, "Wow, Sakura-san is that true?"

I nod and I say, "Yeah there are so many trees in my village that we sometimes build our buildings around the ancient trees."

Some of them look incredulously at me. Suna is not known for their trees so I must sound like a crazy woman to them.

This one little girl says, "Well trees might be good in your village but Gaara-sama can use all the sand around Suna to protect our village. I have seen him do it!"

Tamari smirks and says, "Gaara-kun comes and lets the children play with his sand when he is here. You should see some of the sand-castles that he makes for them to play in! But swear on your life that you will not tell a soul about this ok!"  
I laugh and then I say, "Tamari, the Kazekage's secret is safe with me."

We get to meet with the administrators of the building and they tell me how they proceed with the adoption process. Most of these children come from shinobi families and they have had to deal with many losses at such a young age. They can physically care for the children but their psychological needs are sometimes overlooked.

I must make a note to have special classes mandatory for all medic nins at the medical school.

After our visit there we head back to Hideki-san's food cart for lunch.

As we approach the cart, I see Daisuke watching how Hideki-san prepares the food and what he needs to do to keep the fire under the grill at the right temperature.

We walk up to them and when Daisuke see's me his eyes light up and he runs and hugs me, "Sakura-hime! You came back!"

I laugh and ruffle his hair, "Of course I came back I told you that i would be here today huh?"

"Come sit, Sakura-hime. I want to show you what Hideki-san has taught me today!"

Hideki-san bows to me and says, "What can I get for you today, Sakura-sama?"  
"I would like to have whatever Daisuke learned to cook today."  
He eyes me warily and then says in a hushed tone, "Umm, Sakura-sama these aren't the best that we have to offer."  
"It's ok… that is no problem, please I would like to have whatever Daisuke helped you make today."  
I smile at him and then I see Daisuke coming up with a clean plate and he looks at the grill and picks out the ones that he made.

"Sakura-hime… Look these are my first ones. I made them especially for you!"  
I take the plate and Hideki-san winces a little as I take my first bite.

I school my expression and I smile as I continue to chew and then swallow the salty piece of skewered chicken.

Daisuke looks at my plate and then he says, "Oh no… I forgot the special sauce that goes with it. He runs towards the back of the cart and pulls out a small container. He brings it to me and puts a small dollop on my plate.

His eyes are encouraging and I dip my grilled chicken into the sauce and take a bite.

"Wow, Daisuke this is unbelievable. The taste is indescribable. This sauce gives it the perfect balance."

His eyes are glowing with pride and then Hideki-san says, "Daisuke-kun, mind if I try some?"  
He nods and I see Hideki-san take a bit of one of the skewers that Daisuke made and dip it in the sauce.

His eyes widen and he says, "I can't believe how good this tastes, Daisuke if you give me the recipe to this sauce, I will make you my full-time apprentice and you and your grandmother can come and live with my family as form of payment."

He thinks about it and then says, "You mean that you will continue to teach me all of this cool stuff and my baa-chan and I can stay with you?"

"Hai! When you are old enough you can take over the business if you want too."

Daisuke says, "Hai, Hideki-san. My baa-chan taught me how to make that sauce. I bet once she gets better she can teach me some more cool things she used to cook."

I smile at their exchange and I know that when I leave Daisuke will be left in good hands.

"Daisuke, speaking of your grandmother, do you think that I could meet her? I am a healer and I want to see if there is anything that I can do to help her with her illness."

"Ummm, yeah Sakura-hime but I promised Hideki-san to help him today."

Hideki-san laughs and says, "Daisuke-kun why don't you take a break and come back in an hour."

Daisuke's eagerness is contagious and Tamari and I follow him down an alley towards a small little mudstone hut.

He opens the door and then says, "Baa-chan I am home! I want you to meet Sakura-hime. She is the one that I told you about yesterday."

I see the older woman in bed and her frail hands reach out towards Daisuke to grab his hand. She places a kiss on his palm and says, "Bless you child, tell her to come closer."

I approach the bed and kneel at her side.

I bow to her and say, "Hello my name is Hatake Sakura. I met your grandson yesterday."  
She tries to focus her gaze on me and she says, "Hello I am Shizuka."

"I hear that you are ill, I am a medic, do you mind if I give you a check up?"

"Child I do not have any money to pay you with."

"Do not worry about that Shizuka-san, I am doing this because I want to not because I expect anything in return."

"But you have already helped us enough… Daisuke will have a place to work and a place to stay once I am gone. I could never repay you for that, this would be too much."

"Nonsense… You have to get better so that you can continue to help Daisuke. Please Shizuka-san let me heal what I can."

She reluctantly nods and she lowers the blanket.

I spread my chakra into their system and she feels the soothing feeling of healing chakra.

She has a respiratory disease and some problems with her joints. I heal all of her ailments and when I am done, she opens her eyes in surprise.

"My sweet child you are shinobi…"

"Yes, I am. I am a medic-nin."

"My son was a shinobi. He died right after Daisuke was born before the war. He died on a mission and we never were able to bury a body. Daisuke never met his parents. His mother died of grief a couple of months after his first birthday. She was a civilian and didn't understand the life that shinobi lead. Thank you so much for everything that you have done for me."

"Sakura-hime! You… how did you get baa-chan to get up?"

"I told you Daisuke I am a healer. My job is to help people feel better. Now your grandmother is better."

"Really Baa-chan, it doesn't hurt anymore?"  
"Yes, child I am fine now thanks to Sakura-san."

"Ok Baa-chan, I have to get back to Hideki-san but I will be back with dinner ok?"  
"Yes, go and learn something new!"  
"It was a pleasure to meet you Shizuka-san."  
"Thank you, and may you and your child be safe."

I give her a slight nod and walk out of the room.

_Is my pregnancy that noticeable already?_

We walk back to Hideki-san's cart and Daisuke starts getting back to work.

Tamari and I say good-bye to them and head back to the into town.

* * *

A/N: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed and favorite this story. I am so happy that y'all are enjoying this story so far. Their time in Suna will be coming to a close and they will be heading back to Konoha!  
Please review!


	47. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 47

* * *

Kakashi's POV

The rest of our stay in Suna was pretty uneventful.

Sasuke was promoted to Chunin and the medical school applicants were selected.

We are getting ready to make the trip back home tomorrow and Sakura and I can't wait to see what Tsunade-sama had figured out regarding Sakura's pregnancy.

She was packing up her things when she suddenly looked up at me and said, "Kashi, we need to tell our friends of the pregnancy. I don't think I can hide it anymore and... well... I know that they will understand the reasons why we didn't tell them, I don't feel right about lying to them anymore."

I nod and then I say, "We'll do that as soon as we get home ok?"  
She drops her pack on the floor and then comes up to me and hugs me. She starts softly crying and I feel her grip tighten on me.

"Love what is the matter?"  
"I don't know, I think it's my hormones…. I don't know… Can you just hold me… Please"

I pick her up and sit on the bed with her on my lap. I smooth out her hair and keep playing with the silver strands that matches my exact color. She never told me how she got this but I figured it out after she told me about the seal on my heart.

_This woman has shown me how much she is willing to pay for my love and safety._

I vowed that I would move mountains for her… She is the reason I take my next breath.

Her sobs turn into sighs and I gently infuse her with comforting chakra and she calms down.

"Love are you ok?"  
"Yes… Thank you Kashi. The twins have been very active and their kicks are getting stronger."

I place my hands on her stomach and I say, "Hey guys keep it down in there… Mommy can't handle it right now."

I laugh when they both respond with simultaneous kicks and Sakura giggles.

She looks up at me and says, "How do you know how to make me feel better?"  
"Well love I believe that when I asked you to be my wife, I kinda signed up for a lifelong mission to make you the happiest woman alive."  
I smirk in her direction and say, "And you know that I don't take any mission lightly."

I begin to kiss her and she starts laughing, "Kashi, stop… we need to finish packing…"

I pick her up and carry her to the bed.

"Oh no, I am nothing if not thorough and I believe my wife is needing someone to cheer her up."

She giggles but has already started to undress me.

"Kashi you know we need to head out in a couple of hours, right?"  
"Yeah but I have a solid reputation of being late… I think they will understand."  
She starts giggling again and for the next couple of hours we are lost in each other.

When we wake up it is just past dawn and by the time we get to the gates we only managed to delay everyone by 45 minutes. Sakura blamed it on morning sickness and no one was the wiser.

I winked in her direction and she just smiled and shook her head while she quietly laughed to herself.

* * *

Sakura's POV

The rest of the trip back to Konoha was quiet and thank Kami we had no issues at all. After a couple of days we finally saw the gates of our village.

The minute we stepped foot in Konoha, we saw a flash of orange and a very familiar, "Sakura-chan!"

He flashed right in front of me and then gave me a hug but when he felt how big I had gotten he loosened his grip on me and said in a whisper, "Sakura-chan… the babies.. they have gotten so big."

I nod and then I say, "I need for you to gather everyone at my house, I think it's time to tell our friends."

He smiles and then says, "Tsunade-sama wants to see you and Kaka-sensei."

Kakashi comes to my side and he nods at Naruto. He picks me up and then he takes to the rooftops on our way to the Hokage Tower. I turn back before we left the gate and I saw Naruto welcoming the Suna medic-nins and then going over to where Sasuke stood and gave him a playful jab in the arm. The last thing I saw was Sasuke smile back and grab him by the shoulder and say something that made Naruto laugh.

I turn around and lay my head on Kakashi's shoulder. Those two will be just fine from now on.

Kakashi didn't want anyone to see my stomach while we are here so, I thank him for carrying me to the Hokage Tower. After tonight we will take more drastic measures to protect my children from outsiders but our friends will know the truth and we will no longer hide the fact that our children will be future shinobi of the leaf.

Kakashi and I had talked about it for the last couple of weeks and we came to the conclusion that no matter what, our children would be targeted just for being our children. We would have to face this sooner or later.

Kakashi would secure our home and ANBU would secure our village and worry about outsiders.

We knew deep in our hearts that our fellow shinobi would help take care and protect our children if there was any threat towards them.

Once we arrive at Tsunade's office Kakashi puts me down and he knocks on the door.

"Come in!"  
We walk in and Tsunade looks at us and then rushes towards me.

"Sakura! Hatake, quick close the doors now."  
I am startled a bit and Kakashi does what he is told without a word begins a silencing jutsu around the room.

Tsunade-sama says, "Thanks Kakashi… Now come here and let me check my babies."

I sit on the couch and Tsunade gives me an examination.

"Wow Sakura, they have really grown. Now explain to me what has gone on."

We both explain everything that happened in Suna, the prophecy, the children's chakra bursts, what Sasuke saw with his Sharingan, and our possible reasons for this.

Tsunade-sama listens intently and takes some notes.

Kakashi then tells Tsunade-sama that his worst fear is that his bloodline limit might be causing, either the kids or myself, possible harm. He then whispers, "Tsunade-sama, I am afraid that my mother might have died because of my birth."

I speak up, "Kashi, I already told you that you cannot assume things like that. We will have to go through medical records for us to be sure about that."

Tsunade-sama continues to be silent just taking it all in.

Kakashi then sits back and holds my hand while Tsunade continues to write down what we just told her.

She sighs and Kakashi tightens his grip on my hand.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

"Kakashi, I am going to have to side with Sakura on this one. I have asked Shizune to look up your birth records and any other record that we have on the Hatake clan. Thank Kami that your clan wasn't as secretive as the Hyuga's or the Uchiha's. We haven't found anything out of the norm for now but we will be meticulous about this though."  
"Tsunade-sama, Sasuke offered to let us go through the Uchiha's personal clan records on any prodigy born."

"That's good, if we can link this to any other symptom of bloodline limits then we can document this properly and not have to worry about it. Sakura… we still have to plan for any other issue that this might be and prepare."

Sakura's eyes widen and she says, "NO! I will protect them with my life and I will not let any harm come to them. When it comes down to it I will always choose them. If my life is on the line you make sure that you choose them. Okaa-san please promise me that!"  
"Sakura calm down I need for you to think about all the possible outcomes. You know I love them… they're my grandbabies… but your life is tied to Kakashi's and if you two die, then who will be there for your children?"

We are both silent for a minute just staring at each other and then I say, "Tsunade-sama, we will not let any harm come to them… and if anything were to happen to us…. we are making an official request to leave Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke as their guardians."

"What!Don't tell me that they actually agreed?"  
"Yes, shishou they have. They promised us before we left to Suna."  
"Ok I will accept this for now, but for the next week you are to stay with Shizune and make some progress on researching this. In all my life I haven't seen an unborn child have this kind of ability. I don't think that you, Kakashi, even possessed that skill at that age. We have to also be open-minded that those two in there inherited their parents skills and this is just the way that they are."

I look at my wife and I say, "Sakura, if this is just how they are then we will adapt. We are good at that, huh?"

I give her a small smile and then she nods and her own eyes begin to sparkle.

"Tsunade-sama, we wish to be able to inform our friends of the pregnancy and wish to get your permission."

"Like Naruto isn't getting all your friends together already? Look it's going to be impossible to hide it anymore and as long as they are willing to protect you, it might actually make it easier for all of us while you are in Konoha."

She stands up and then walks over to Sakura, "Look, I love you and those babies so much and I will not let anything happen to you. We will research this and make sure that nothing goes wrong. So far their chakra pathways just feel stronger and more developed than what a one year old would have so we can at least know that they are advanced. I like your suggestion of having Hinata check you out though. Her findings along with Sasuke's information will help us too. Now I am going to let you go home and enjoy your welcome home party."

She winks at us and then smiles.

"Now get out of here you two and go have some fun tonight."

Sakura smiles and then leaves the office. I stay behind and then I say, "Tsunade-sama, I will get the ANBU report from Yamato and plan a defensive attack. If what he said in his message is true then we have to have all the ANBU teams called back before the inauguration. There will be too many targets for anyone that has a grudge against us to not attack."

"Make sure nothing happens to those brats, they are all you and I have left."

I nod and exit the building.

Yamato's report that Pakkun gave me two nights ago disturbed me and I did not like what the rumors were saying about Sound.

I walk outside and I see Sakura looking up at the sky, a slight breeze making her hair flutter around her face.

_She is my everything…._

* * *

A/N: Sorry so short had to attend a couple graduations today. Please review!


	48. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 48

* * *

Sakura's POV

When we get to the house we see that the lights are on and Naruto and Sasuke are arguing in the kitchen. Kiba-kun is laughing at them and Sai is just shaking his head at the mess that the kitchen was in.

"Hey guys, we are home!"  
"Sakura-chan, this teme here pushed me and then the food that I prepared fell on the floor."  
Sasuke shakes his head and says, "Baka, cup ramen is not food!"

I sigh and head into my kitchen. As I pass by, Sai's eyes widen and I knew that he was going to say a smart-ass remark but thankfully Yamato places a hand over his mouth but then gives us a questioning look.

Kiba jumps over the couch and then looks at me and begins to sniff the air.

He comes really close and then takes a whiff of my hair.

Kakashi is looking a bit disturbed and then when Kiba inhales deeply for the third time he shoves him off and says, "Look Kiba… stop that right now…."

I saw how Kakashi's grip on my waist was tighter and his possessive nature was in full swing, just because Kiba was breathing in my scent. His fists were clenched at his sides and it looked like he actually wanted to hit Kiba.

"Sorry… but Sakura… your scent is really strong and it's not what you smell like usually."

_A couple of years ago this conversation would have really creeped me out, but I have had to deal with Kakashi's extremely sensitive nose and then I had an Inuzuka for one of my best friends to top it all off._

Kiba then takes a whiff of Kakashi and he then says, "Ahh, I get it now… This new scent coming from you is both of your scents combined…. but that only happens in my clan… Why would your scent change like that?"

Kiba and Kakashi look at each other and then Kiba says, "Kakashi-senpai… do you have Inuzuka blood in you?"

We all are bewildered and in kind of shock.

"Ummm….." Kakashi seems to be thinking about something and then he says, "Excuse me I have to find something… I'll be right back."

I look at Kiba and then say, "Kiba-kun what was that about?"

"I don't know, but Sakura… you don't think that Kakashi and I share the same blood in some way?"

I think about what he said and then I start thinking about all of my past suspicions about why Kakashi's nose can rival an Inuzuka's.

_No one in the village from another clan can do that unless they share some blood tie. I always thought that his possessive nature was just about him being a regular male thing, but Inuzuka's were loyal to their mate and they had a hard time when another male breathed in their mate's scent._

"Kiba-kun… Kakashi doesn't know a lot about his heritage… both of his parents died when he was young… his mother wasn't born in Konoha, his father met her in Lightning country and brought her here. She was a very skilled kunoichi in her own right but we don't have many records on her birth."

Sasuke then spoke up, "Sakura if he needs information on his mother… my clan would have made an investigation on her before she was allowed to train the future wife of the clan heir."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and said, "Sasuke, Kaka-sensei's mother trained your mom?"

He nods and he walks up to the picture on the mantel and takes it into his hands. He caresses the picture of his mother and then hands it over to Naruto.

Sai and Yamato-taichou had seen the picture already and Yamato-taichou says, "Senpai, has never openly searched for his parents information, especially after his father's death."  
Naruto keeps looking at the picture and says, "Wow, they look like they were good friends… I mean even your dad doesn't look all scary and serious like his portrait at the Hokage Tower."

Uchiha Fugaku's portrait was there because he had been the head of the Military Police.

Sasuke then goes to his room and retrieves a framed picture of his mother training with another woman with some fans.

He gives me the picture and then says, "That's my mother and she is being trained by Kakashi-sensei's mother."  
I look down at the picture and then whisper, "They were both so beautiful, they look like they were good friends."  
I hand him the frame and then he goes back into his room.

I look at the guys and say, "I know that everyone is coming over but I am going to go look for Kakashi."

They nod and then I hear Yamato-taichou tell all the guys to help him in the kitchen.

I walk outside to the garden and then head towards the storage rooms.

I find one that has a light on and walk in.

Kakashi was desperately looking for something through all the boxes.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_"Kakashi-senpai… do you have Inuzuka blood in you?"_ Kiba's words keep bouncing around in my head.

_Could I have Inuzuka blood in me?_

I need to find any records that have information about my mother. If I do then maybe we could figure out what is going on with Sakura and the kids…

I heard soft footsteps coming across the garden and I take a deep breath, _ummm Sakura.._

I keep looking in one of the boxes that held my father's personal clan records and then started flipping through books and unrolling scrolls.

"Kashi…."

I continue looking.

"Kashi…. Love let me help you."  
I look up and I see her smiling face, the way that she is leaning into the door frame and her hand gently rests on her stomach.

I take off my mask and then I take a deep breath and say, "Sakura, if Kiba is right and I have some Inuzuka blood in me, then we can at least have a starting point for any abnormalities in your pregnancy."  
She takes my hands and places them on her stomach and says, "Love, even the most prepared medic nin with all the information in the world cannot predict and anticipate a textbook pregnancy and delivery. We don't have control over some things love and we sometimes have to learn as we go. As long as you're by my side I will be fine and so will the twins."

She kisses me and then says, "Love we need to go back inside our friends will be here soon and I am not facing them alone.

I drop the scroll that I was looking at and follow her back into the house.

As we approach the house we can hear all of our friends arriving and then Sakura's grip on my hand tightens.

She looks up at me and says, "Together?"  
I can only respond, "Always…"

I open the door for her and we both walk in and everyone turns around to see us.

There is an eerie silence and all we see are shocked faces.

I clear my throat and then say, "Sakura is in her 5th month of pregnancy and we are having twins."

Ino screams, Hinata turns red, Choji smiles, Tenten and Neji bow to us, Lee and Gai are in tears _(but for completely separate reasons)_, Shino bows his head in our direction, Kurenai is smiling at the both of us, Shizune and Genma are giving us knowing smiles _(Tsunade-sama had already told those two)_, and Shikamaru raises an eyebrow but looks bored as hell.

Ino runs up to us with a determined look and she says, "Forehead how could you not tell me!"

Shikamaru come us next to us and then takes Ino by the shoulder and says, "Ino, there must be a reason for her to hide this pregnancy from all of us. Could it have something to do with the previous attacks and attempts on the Hokage?"  
Naruto says, "Look guys some things just can't be said at certain times you all know this, know that you all know we should be happy for them and help them in any way we can."  
They all voice their agreement and then Sakura squeezes my hand, I nod at her and she says to them, "Thank you for your willingness to help us. There is a lot of things we can't say at the moment but what we can say is that with the attempts on the Hokage we just don't want my pregnancy to become another way that they target Naruto or Tsunade-sama. Our kids would be targeted regardless just because they are our children so we have already taken some precautions but from now on, I will retire from active duty and Kakashi will be fulfilling whatever duties the Hokage gives him and whatever he needs to do at ANBU. I will be working on the school with Shizune and Tsunade-sama and be overseeing the hospital work that now falls on Hinata and Ino. I don't want to keep anything from you all. All of you are so precious to us and we love all of you, but please don't let any of this leave this house. No one else, other than you guys and the Kazekage and his siblings, knows about the twins."

Ino then comes up to Sakura and me and says, "I will protect you and those babies with my life." She looks at Sakura and then raises her hand to touch her stomach. She whispers, "Hey sweeties, this is aunty Ino and if there is a girl in there, I will make sure you have better taste in clothing than your mother here."

She says this with a smile and a wink in our direction.

I can't help rolling my eyes at the thought of Ino taking my princess to buy clothing.

They all come up to congratulate us and say hi to the twins.

Yamato looks at me and then says, "Guess I have to start working on a second crib then?"  
I whisper, "Thank you Tenzou"

He smiles back at me and then Sai says to Sakura, "Will you allow me to touch your stomach?"  
She bops him on the head and then grabs his hands so that she can position them over the babies. They give him a slight kick and Sai's eyes widen and he is at a loss for words.

Sakura places her hand on his cheek and says, "I think the kids just said hi to you."

Ino comes up behind Sai and pulls him to the couch so Hinata can come over.

She says, "Sakura, Kakashi-san, Congratulations."

Sakura hugs her and then she whispers in her ear that we will need her help with something but we will talk to her about it later.

Hinata nods and then bows before heading back to where Naruto was.

Sakura smiles at me and then Neji and Kiba come up to me and say, "Senpai, can we talk with you in private?"  
Sakura gives me a kiss on the cheek and says, "Go love I'm ok right now, I am sure the girls and I need to catch up anyway."

I head over to my office and I look at the rest of the guys and they follow me into my office.

Neji gives me a scroll and I know that it is the ANBU report on the missions that he and Kiba lead into Sound.

I skim the contents of the scroll as the all file into my office.

_This is not good, but at least they are not targeting Sakura at this time._

I look in my pack for the scrolls that I had prepared while in Suna and hand ANBU mission scrolls to Kiba, Neji, Yamato, Sai and Sasuke. Naruto then takes out some scrolls sealed with the Hokage's seal and gives them to Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, Lee, Gai and Genma. He looks at Neji and then Kiba and gives them a different scroll addressed to their clan heads. Naruto then speaks up, "Guys these will be your assignments until we find Kabuto and Sasuke's old team. I will give Tenten, Hinata and Ino their mission scrolls before we leave.

"Shikamaru you will be working with Kakashi on this special assignment." He hands Shikamaru the scroll that the Kazekage had sent Tsunade-sama.

I look at Naruto and raise an eyebrow but he says, "Hokage's orders…"  
I bow my head in acceptance and then I sigh and say, "Guys we need to find out what is going on with Kabuto and Sound. This could have some serious consequences on the peace that we fought so hard to get."

They all nod in agreement and then Naruto says, "Come on Kaka-sensei, let's go finish celebrating the good news about your babies!"

I laugh slightly and then we all go back to where Sakura and the girls are at.

Everyone seems to enjoy their time and I see Naruto go up to Ino, Tenten and Hinata to give them their mission scrolls.

Sakura looks so happy now that she has been able to tell our friends.

The night goes on and we all have fun catching up. Close to midnight, everyone manages to either go back home or head into their own room.

Sakura was fighting sleep as she tried to get some cups from the living room to take to the kitchen. I pick her up and say, "Love don't worry we can take care of that tomorrow, right now you need to rest."  
I place her on the bed and help her undress.

I place a soft sleeping yukata and then cover her with a blanket.

She motions me over to her side and then grabs my hands so I can hold our children.

I run my hands over her stomach and then tell my children a story of when Minato-sensei taught me the basics of the Rasengan.

* * *

A/N: Naruto is going to take office once again and some action is in store in the next couple of chapters but first we will head to the Uchiha compound. What do you guys think about Kakashi's mother having some sort of blood tie to the Inuzuka's? I know that I have hinted at this throughout the story but I finally decided to commit to this now, it makes sense for the story so I am going to go with it.

I kinda feel bad that Kakashi is having to learn through trial and error. Since he knows so little of his past, and has no other source of reference he doesn't know what is normal for his own clan/bloodline.

I like how Sasuke still speaks of his mom in the present.

Please review!


	49. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 49

* * *

Sakura's POV

The next two weeks were spent either in the archive rooms at the Hokage Tower, or our home's storage rooms.

We haven't been able to go to the Uchiha Compound because Sasuke has been busy with some of his ANBU duties and the only time I can feel his presence is late at night when he gets home or when I am out running errands. Kakashi kept him as head of my security team since we got back from Suna. When he is leading the team he flares his chakra a bit for me to recognize and let me know that he's got my back.

Shizune and I spend every morning combing through files and records and birth registries.

None of the children that were considered a prodigy had any strange circumstances surrounding their birth, well except Naruto's but that one was highly classified and could only be opened by the Hokage.

Kakashi's records were meticulously kept and his mother went to all of her doctor's appointments when she was pregnant but there was no mention of anything abnormal. We did find, however, that Kakashi's mother passed away from a blood clot to the brain a couple of days after giving birth.

I think that was one of the hardest things that I could tell Kakashi. That night I held him in my arms as he wept quietly. The only thing he asked was if she had suffered in the end. I had gazed into his eyes and said, "No love, the report said that she had died in her sleep. I believe that she didn't suffer at all." He held onto me all night long and in his sleep he kept muttering things like, '_I'm sorry…'_ or '_this won't happen to you..'_ he was sad about the circumstances of his mother's death but he seemed relieved that it had nothing to do with his bloodline limit and that in the end she died with little pain.

The rest of the records that we did find on his mother had normal jonin mission reports and had the standard shinobi dossier about her life in the village. Her birth records however were sealed and we were still trying to come up with a technique to open them. It was either that or go to Lightning to retrieve the originals.

During the afternoons we spent time looking over admission applications from different medic nins from all over the Allied Countries and we had to make a selection of students.

Kakashi's ANBU were the invisible guard of the village, his new security protocols revamped all of ANBU from training, to selection, to missions.

There was a new feeling among the agents that belonged to the organization.

For one, the hospital admissions had gone down dramatically and that was just by changing a few protocols over field medical care. I had taught a couple of the ANBU captains something more than basic first aid and made sure that the hospital provided all shinobi with a medical scroll and an emergency transportation scroll with seals specifically to a stand by operation rooms. The scrolls were unique to each ANBU agent so they wouldn't have to worry about it getting into the wrong hands and used for other purposes.

Naruto and Shikamaru made sure that Konoha's village wide defenses were constantly monitored.

My friends were always constantly around me now. If Ino wasn't here, then it would be Shizune, or Tenten, or Hinata.

Today it was Hinata's turn to "babysit" me but we were summoned to the Hokage Tower so Tsunade-sama could give me another check up and Hinata could better assess the chakra pathways of the twins.

We knock on the door and we walk into her office where Kakashi was already there handing over Tsunade-sama some scrolls.

He turns around and looks at me and I can tell that he is smiling underneath that mask of his.

He comes up to me and faces me and quickly takes off his mask and gives me a kiss while Tsunade-sama and Hinata are going over some notes from my last exam.

Tsunade-sama looks at us but Kakashi had just put on his mask and was just caressing my cheek, so they didn't notice that he had just kissed me while we were in the Hokage's office.

"Alright you two. Come here and sit down Sakura."  
I take a seat on the couch and she begins to let her chakra flow into me and she checks my chakra system.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and she gasps as soon as she looks at me. The three of us look at her with a startled expression and she quickly realizes what we must be thinking and she said, "Sorry! Sorry! I was just startled by the strength of their chakra system in ones so young."

She makes a more thorough assessment and then she writes down everything she see's. Kakashi kept looking at her to say something and when Hinata finally looked up she saw the worried look in his eyes.

"The babies' chakra systems are fully developed and they appear to have an ability that creates a strong pull towards anything emitting any energy. It's like a magnetic pull from the energy surrounding them, they draw upon nature and the chakra of others but it's not like a drain or anything. I don't think that it's harming Sakura at all."

Tsunade then says, "Hinata keep watching and see what happens after I tell Kakashi and Sakura to infuse their own chakra into the babies."  
"Hai, Tsunade-sama."  
"Kakashi you go first, send them some of your white chakra into their systems."  
I feel his chakra surround me and I feel loved and secure in his embrace. I look at Hinata and she is just smiling at us.

"Kakashi-san the babies react well to your chakra, it's like they are familiar with it and it calms them and prevents their own chakra from flaring. They are very compatible."

He visibly relaxes and then Tsunade-sama asks me to create the same protective barrier that Shizune did when she was poisoned.

I begin to concentrate my chakra into my womb and create a barrier around them.

Hinata's eyes widen and she says, "Sakura I can't see the babies anymore, it's like you concealed them and… and… not even my byakugan can see through it. Slowly retract the shield to see how the babies react to it."  
I do as she says and then Hinata says, "The babies are fine… I don't see any changes in them."

I breathe out and then say, "Thank you so much Hinata."

She looks at us and then says, "I know my father didn't want to release any birth records of the prodigies in our family, but I can assure you that I looked through them myself and I didn't come across anything like this."

Kakashi stands up and says to her, "Thank you so much Hinata."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

After we left the Hokage's office Sakura was going to accompany me to see Inuzuka Tsume.

Kiba had told her about what happened the night we came back from Suna and she wanted to see us herself. Their clan had also been investigating any possible people who could have been related to my mother or figure out why I was having some of their clans instinctual responses when it came to my wife and children.

As we approach the Inuzuka compound we are greeted by Kiba and Akamaru at the door.

"Hey Kakashi-senpai, Sakura… How are you guys doing?"  
Sakura hugs him and says, "Hinata just gave us some really good news about the babies so I would say I feel relieved and happy."

He subtly takes a deep breath of her scent and it takes everything I have to not growl at him.

He noticed my chakra flare a little and he immediately backed away and said, "Look… I can't help it… and plus it's not like I meant it in _that_ way! She's like a sister for Kami's sake! Geez, just by your reaction I would say that you _are_ part Inuzuka."  
The doors to the main house open and we hear, "Kiba! Shut your trap and bring our guests inside the house, those are not things we talk about in public!" The head of the Inuzuka clan was Kiba's mother, Inuzuka Tsume, and she was one of the scariest women in the village.

We walk into their home and I could sense everything inside this home screamed out Alpha.

I had never stepped into the clan head's home before, and it seemed that a part of my blood felt very at home here.

I took Sakura's hand and Tsume led us to the sitting room.

Hana brought some tea and set it on the table in front of us and left. Only Tsume and Kiba stayed in there with us. The clan head and the heir would be the only ones with the power to divulge any clan document that was not already in the possession of the Hokage.

Tsume sniffed the air and she said, "Sakura-san, your scent has changed from before and it seems to be intermingled with Kakashi-san's."

She looked at me and then said, "Kakashi-san what do you know of your family tree?"  
I responded, "I can trace my father's side up until the beginning of the village, but from my mother's side, all the information that I have is this."

I put the files that belonged to my mother on the table and she begins to flip through them.

She read through some and said, "Hatake Mitsuko, Place of Birth: Lightning Country; Village Affiliation: Konohagakure Rank: Jonin; Elemental Nature: raiton, doton, fuuton; Skills: extremely adept at tracking, silent kill, great stealth; Weapons: chakra fans with senbon projectiles and chakra blades; All other information regarding academy and training is kept in Lightning."

Kiba just stared at the pack of scrolls next to Tsume and I could tell he wanted to open them.

"Kakashi-san, your mother was quite impressive for a kunoichi, I have to tell you that it took us quite some time to uncover any leads that would link you to our clan and I have to say that I would have been proud to have had her in our clan."

She picks up a giant scroll and unrolls it on the floor for us to see.

_It is the Inuzuka Family Tree._

She points to one of the branches and says, "This is my cousin Haruka. She fell in love with a shinobi from Lightning on a mission and when she asked her father for permission to marry, he denied it and virtually disowned her. It pained her to leave the clan and I can imagine that it weakened her as well. We never heard from her since she left. This would be the only possibility of any of our clan members marrying outside the clan during the time period of your mother's conception. Kakashi-san, she wasn't a bad person at all, I remember her well as a child myself. She would always seem to bring me back something from her missions."

I look down at Haruka-san's picture and I bring out the picture of my mother on her wedding day. Tsume compares them and she can see the resemblance of the short spiky light brown hair.

I say, "She and I have the same color eyes, but everything else I must have inherited from my father."

_They would probably never know that I also have the same elongated canines that they have as well, all thanks to my mask._

She laughs and then says, "Yeah that silver hair of your's is typical of the Hatake's. My teammates and I idolized your father growing up, you know. He was on the same level as the Sannin, but he never wanted any of the attention that came with it. He was loyal and I have always admired that in you as well."

I look through my pack and take out my mother's birth records and then ask if they recognized the seal on it.

Tsume does a double take and she says, "That seal is one of ours, it is one of the older seals so I imagine that it was Haruka's doing. This confirms our suspicions. If you would like, I can look into the seals and see what we can do to open them?"  
I shake my head and say, "Not right now… I think I have the information that I need and can move forward… maybe when things settle down."  
She looks at Sakura and then says, "I understand. Sakura-san those pups have less Inuzuka blood than Kakashi-san so I do not believe that you will experience the same symptoms that our clan women do. I think it will just be the change of scent for you and Kakashi's inability to let anyone else in my clan smell you. At least he hasn't marked you."

I raise and eyebrow in Sakura's direction and she says nothing but her faint blush gives her away.

_Mating Mark... I might have to ask Kiba about this later on._

She looks at me and then at Kiba and says, "Kiba you will refrain from doing this and agitating your senpai. Kakashi-san if he continues please send him on a month long ANBU mission so he can learn his lesson on how to be respectful of other people's mates."  
I grin under my mask and Kiba says, "But Ma! you know that it is instinct, when I smell a new scent on my sister! I can't help it."  
He looks at me and then at Sakura and says, "Come on guys give me a break, you know I would never do anything to harm either of you."  
"I know, so don't worry about it Kiba… Just don't do it… I have little control over it either… my pack won't take kindly to it as well so if they are around please refrain from sniffing my wife."  
Sakura can barely hold in her laughter and Tsume is already chuckling at our exchange.

Tsume comes close and she takes a whiff of me and then at Sakura. She closes her eyes and then says, "Kakashi-san I truly do believe that you might be one of our distant relatives. Your sense of smell rivals ours and your actions right now toward your mate is something that only one with our blood would demonstrate… it's instinctive, however small the amount of Inuzuka blood you hold. Your Hatake blood is what overpowers most of your other senses and I can see how those pups you will have will take after the both of you. It is as if it is a perfect balance of both of your natures and scents."

"Thank you Tsume-san for your help. I truly appreciate it."

I bow to her and she puts her arm on my shoulder and says, "Kakashi-san if you allow me I would like to add to Haruka's branch. As clan head I won't have anyone else to respond to and Kiba here approves as clan heir. I want to give her honor by telling her story and passing it down in our family records. Do you mind if we add you to our family tree?"  
I was taken aback by her request and I only nodded but then I said, "If you will allow me to add her name to my own. I know that most clans didn't marry outside of their own clans but I hardly have any one left. I would like to know what I can about my mother's side of the family if you don't mind?"

"Not at all Kakashi-san, we are blood related after all."

She begins to write down my mother's name and then continues to write down my father's and then my name below theirs. Sakura is added next to my name and Tsume says that as soon as the kids are born she will add them as well.

"Ma, our family just got bigger in one small meeting huh?"

Kiba grins at our direction and I laugh a little.

He then points at Sakura's stomach and says, "So I will actually be able to be the kids true uncle then? Ha! Wait till Naruto and Sasuke hear that. I will never let them forget who the kids favorite uncle is!"

Tsume smiles at Sakura and says, "Have you thought about giving them an animal familiar?"

Sakura bows her head and says, "Kakashi's ninken have offered their contract to the children as soon as they are able and ready to accept them."

"Alright... but please know that you are always welcome here and the pups will be able to train with our dogs if they want to as well."

We stand and both bow to her, I say "Thank you Tsume-san."

She gets up and says, "Kakashi-san, we are relatives and you and yours will always be welcomed into this home."

I say to her and Kiba, "As ours is to you and yours."

Both Sakura and I say our goodbyes and head back home.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for your reviews and the new favorites and follows! Thank you Prescripto13 for your suggestions I really thought about rewritting the chapter after I read your review last night but I decided on keeping him part Inuzuka instead of making them part of another clan similar to the Inuzuka's. I think that since Kakashi favored his father so much that no one ever thought that he might be related to any other clan in the first place. But like you said I do think that if they knew about him being part Inuzuka they might have taken him in when Sakumo died, but the probable reason that Haruka (Kakashi's grandmother) hid the Inuzuka bloodline from Mitsuko was probably because she might have thought that since she had been disowned there might be some bad feelings towards Mitsuko and her future children. Now that Tsume and Kiba are in charge of the clan they probably have a different way of thinking about family ties. They had to have endured two shinobi wars and throughout everything Kakashi earned their respect through his actions and not his blood.


	50. Chapter 50

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 50

* * *

Sakura's POV

The walk home from the Inuzuka's was quiet and Kakashi's thoughts were clouded and his pace was slower than usual.

"Kashi... are you ok?"

"Yes Love, I am just processing everything that happened today. It was a bit much... but in the end I am glad to know that I have some extended family here in Konoha."

I smile at him and take his hand as we approach our house. Sasuke is waiting for us on the porch and as we walk up the steps he says, "If you want we can go to the Uchiha Compound tomorrow. My commander has finally allowed me a day off and… well I think it's time."

He smiled in our direction and Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sasuke you know that you were the only one that I could send on those missions."

He smiles and says, "Yeah I know Sensei…. so how about we leave after breakfast?"  
I nod and say, "Kashi, I am not doing anything tomorrow so I can go and help too."  
He grips my hand and then nods, "Ok love, let's get some rest then before tomorrow."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

As much as I had wanted for the Inuzuka's to try to unseal the birth records of my mother, I was afraid that my grandmother had sealed them for a reason.

After learning that she had been disowned by her family I could guess that she sealed them to protect my mother and well… me... from being treated differently or being forced to join the clan against our wishes.

I had established my name as a Hatake and I wasn't going to let my father's name and memory be forgotten.

Although I appreciated the fact that I now had a bigger extended family I was glad that as Head of the Hatake Clan I, nor my children, would ever be bound to their traditions and customs.

I think that I will get more information from any records that the Uchiha's might have, than I would have ever gotten from Lightning or the Inuzuka's.

When the Uchiha's were in full power of the Military Police they had become enemies of many powerful families in many of the shinobi nations. When they brought in a clan outsider to train the Heir's intended, they would have been diligent in gathering all the information that they could before allowing her within the compound's gates.

Sakura and I get ready for bed and Sakura grabs my hand and places them over her stomach.

The story that I tell my children is about the time that my father carried me on his shoulders on my way to the academy for the very first time and what he told me before walking in for the first time. He had said, "Kakashi, I will always be proud of you no matter what you do because you are my son. Never forget what is truly important in life and you will never be lost." I didn't understand the importance of those words or the true meaning behind them. I make sure that I tell them how much I love my father had in me and how much he loved taking those walks from our home to the academy doors everyday.

I kiss Sakura goodnight and then I place two kisses on her stomach and say, "You have no idea how much I am looking forward to those walks with the both of you."

I lay back down and let sleep take me away for the next couple of hours.

When I wake up I can hear Sakura and Sasuke talking in the kitchen.

_How did I oversleep?_

I get dressed and I walk into the kitchen where Sakura is fixing me some breakfast.

"Good morning" I said still trying to process how I overslept.

"Hey Sensei, I need to go outside for a moment and then when you're finished eating we can leave."

Sasuke looked at Sakura then at me and then went out to the garden.

I pull down my mask and then yawn as Sakura gives me a cup of tea.

She notices how I am still somewhat sleepy.

"Love…. I… umm… well you kept tossing and turning last night so I placed a sleeping jutsu on you…. I hope you don't mind."

_So that's why…_

"Sakura thank you but you really shouldn't have… what about if there had been an attack or something and I wasn't there to protect you and the kids."

She rolls her eyes and then gives me a 'you just crossed the line look'.  
"Look Kakashi, pregnant or not, I am still very deadly, or do you think that I wouldn't be able to protect my family on my own just because I saw how much you needed to get some sleep!? You can't take all of this on yourself, I am here with you and as partners, as equals, we will make sure that nothing happens to our family. If you must know I reinforced your protections seals with my own and your jutsu would have broken if anyone had crossed those seals. You tell me to have faith in you… now you have faith in me."  
She was starting to walk away but she turned around and said, "I expect the breakfast that I made for you to be finished by the time I get back from our room and I will maybe consider forgiving you if you wash and put away your plate."  
I could see that the anger in her eyes was gone and as she looked at my shocked expression she grinned and winked at me before disappearing back into the room.

I quickly ate my breakfast, washed, dried and put away all the dishes and rushed to our room just as she was getting out of the shower.

"Kashi…"  
I cut her off by picking her up and kissing her.

"Love I am sorry… I have never doubted your abilities… I… I just…"  
"Don't say it.. I know how you feel already. Once you started having nightmares you… well I could feel everything that you felt, the uncertainty, the sense of loss… and well.. I am here now, let me clarify, We are here now and our family is the only thing that matters now."

I kiss her again and say, "Sakura you are my life… thank you."

We finish getting ready and meet Sasuke at the front door.

Our walk to the Uchiha Compound was quiet but as we approached the gates, Sasuke's hand was visibly shaking.

He reached out to open the seal placed on the gate and he cut his finger to allow some drops of blood to smear the seal and release the jutsu that was protecting it.

The gates open and he takes a single step inside and then looks back in our direction.

I nod and both Sakura and I walk beside him.

Most of the buildings look pretty much the same way they did after the ANBU teams had come in and removed all the bodies for burial after the massacre.

_I remember I was there._

_I took out the bodies of Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san._

After the Uchiha clan had been given burial, some of our ANBU teams went back into the compound, out of our own free will, and began to wash the blood out of the homes.

_I took the job of cleaning the main house._

I've never told anyone about that and even though I had already been desensitized to death because of my profession, seeing innocent lives taken all in one night shook me to my core. I couldn't believe it when they told me that Itachi had done it alone, and all in one night.

_He was my teammate._

_I was his captain._

That night my Sharingan memorized every detail.

Many of the deaths were executed with flawless precision. The efficiency was something that only one with superior skill and talent could perform.

Many of the bodies were still in bed, just as they had when they went to sleep.

There was very little resistance and it had Itachi's signature kill style: quick, deadly, and silent.

Seeing it with my very own eyes confirmed it for me.

_This was the work of Uchiha Itachi._

The only room where there was any sign of hesitation was in the main house of the clan head.

The blood pattern was not consistent with the other deaths, he must have spoken with his parents because when we searched the room both Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san appeared to have knelt as they were stabbed through the back. They were awake and did not fight their own son. Both were extremely capable shinobi and it must have been extremely hard for them to even begin to lift a finger towards their own flesh and blood.

To imagine Sasuke as a boy walking into this…. it's no wonder why he was so hell-bent on revenge afterwards.

Itachi's orders were now known among the commanding officers in Konoha and unfortunately most of the elders that ordered the massacre were now dead.

This was hard for me, and I had no blood ties to the Uchiha, so it came as no surprise when Sasuke just stopped in front of his home and stared off into the abandoned building.

His breaths became rapid and his hand shook even more. Sakura approached him slowly and took his hand in hers. I came up on the other side and placed my hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Sakura's hand and then faced her and then he turned to look at me and said, "I'm ready."

With those words we walked into the main house of the Uchiha Clan.

* * *

Sakura's POV

As we entered the main house Sasuke gave my hand a slight squeeze but kept on looking forward. Many of the things inside his house looked like they hadn't been disturbed in many years. There was dust everywhere and the only thing that was out-of-place was a seal written on the floor of the main room that lit up when Kakashi entered the room.

Sasuke and I looked questioningly at it and then Kakashi went to the seal and did a couple of hand signs and released the seal. Where the seal had previously been, a bunch of boxes full of scrolls and pictures appeared before us.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and I looked at Kakashi with a bewildered look.

He shrugged and said, "ANBU cleaned this place up after the… that night. We sealed the valuables within the home. We figured that when you were ready you would need everything that is here."  
"Sensei… thank you."

Sasuke looks at Kakashi and walks up to him and says, "I know that you must have been the one to do this."  
Kakashi lowers his eyes and says, "I'm sorry if I didn't bring you here after I met you… I just didn't think that you were in a right place at that time to deal with these memories."  
"You are right, I probably would have become even angrier… but I know the true reason behind that night now and I don't hold you responsible in any way. Thank you Sensei, for taking care of this for me."  
"I know how it feels to have your parents things confiscated and searched before being moved under the village's care. I owed your parents at least this much after… well…"

"I understand." Sasuke nods and then he looks at some of the boxes and says, "Well, do you know what any of this stuff is?"  
"To tell you the truth, no... I wanted to seal whatever I could find before any of the other clans came in to see if they could get any of the Uchiha secrets. That box was from your room, that one from Itachi's, this one from your parents bedroom and that one from your father's office. I left the seal so that if I died before releasing it again, Genma would be able to do it. He is the only other person that knows about this. We learned this seal from the Fourth."

Sasuke heads toward the box that contains his father's scrolls and says, "If your mother's information is anywhere, it would be here."  
"Sasuke you don't have to. If it's too soon don't worry we can look through that some other time."

"No Sensei… if knowing more about your mother will somehow help Sakura and the babies, we need to do this now."  
I sigh and then take a look at both Kakashi and Sasuke, "How about we give you a few minutes to yourself and me and Kakashi will go and check to make sure that rest of the compound is ok. We will survey for any damage and make a list of what we will be needing to slowly build this place back up."  
I smile at him and say, "This job will take a long time to finish, so don't be getting any ideas of leaving us just yet, the kids will be here soon and I am going to be needing all the help I can get."  
Sasuke laughs and then says to me, "Ok Sakura, but I don't do diapers."

I grin in his direction and I say, "We will be just outside if you need us."

I take Kakashi's hand and we walk outside, I turn to look at Sasuke and he is approaching the box that held the belongings of his brother.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura holds my hand and says, "Kashi... you were here... after?"

"Yes."

She looks lovingly at me and hugs me, "Are you ok? I mean... coming back here?"

I sigh and I say, "Love, nothing will be as bad as that night. Imagine a little boy just walking into an entire clan compound massacred all in the span of one night."

She sighs into my chest and says, "I never understood..."

I guide her through the rest of the compound and we walk around the abandoned homes.

I unconsciously stop at a familiar home and bow my head with a sigh.

_Obito's family home..._

Sakura looks at me but says nothing.

I appreciate the comfortable silent support that she gives me and we take a step inside to survey if there was any damage. The home was structurally sound and there was only some broken windows due to a previous storm.

I take out the branch and then place a board up against the window.

The next bedroom was Obito's and when I walk in, I remember the times that I had to come and wake him up for missions through that very window.

_He was always late for everything and came up with lame ass excuses._

On the dresser our team picture was turned over on a broken frame. His family had kept his room as a guest bedroom after he died so the majority of the things that he had on the wall were kept just as he had left them. Genma had taken care of cleaning this house so I hadn't been in here since... well... I say two missions before our last mission together.

_I couldn't even come in to see his mother after his funeral._

We finish in his home but before we leave Sakura leans in and says, "Kashi, I'll leave you here for a couple of minutes. I'll be outside."

She kisses my cheek and steps outside.

I can see her through the window and I sigh and say, "Well Obito, you know I always go see you at the memorial stone but I am sorry for never coming to see your family. I should have told them how I truly felt about you, about how you changed me and how you helped me in a way that no one would have ever helped back then. It's because of you that I was finally able to see my father in another light. Thank you for that. I know I tell you every time that I see you but I feel that I have always let you and your family down."

I walk outside and make our way back to the main house in the compound.

As we get near his house an ANBU agent comes up to me and bows his head, "Kakashi-sama, the Hokage is requesting a meeting with you about some intel that we just received from Sound."

Sakura looks at me and says, "Go I'll stay here with Sasuke. I'll see you at home."

I walk away from her and turn to see her place her hands over our children and she waves at me with a sweet loving smile on her face.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I walk back into the main house and Sasuke is sitting on the floor looking through some scrolls. He had consolidated many things into one box. He looks up from the scroll he is reading and he raises an eyebrow in my direction.

"Kakashi was called away to see the Hokage, they got a some intel from Sound."  
"Hn."

I suddenly feel a strong set of kicks.

"Ohh."

I had stood next to him as he was sitting on the floor and when I felt the sharp pain again he got on his knees and looked up at me with worried eyes.

"Sakura are you ok?!"  
"Yeah… Oh… boy these kicks were really strong just now."  
I get his hand and place it on my stomach.

He looks up at me when he feels the kicks and he leans into me and places his head near my stomach and whispers, "Hey little guys, don't beat up your mama from the inside… she'll just take it out on your daddy later on. So don't put her in a mood ok… stay calm in there."

He then looks up at me and smiles while he is still on his knees and suddenly the kids let out a jolt of chakra and we feel a foreign flare of chakra outside the window.

Sasuke immediately hands me several kunai as he says, "Stay safe… I'm gonna check that out."  
I nod and he jumps out the window looking for the flare of chakra.

I take in my surroundings and try to clear my head so I can prepare for any attack that might come.

That's when I heard it.

Several explosions coming from the gates of Konoha.

If we were under attack I knew that Kakashi would be sending a platoon of ANBU towards the gates and a team in my direction if he couldn't come himself.

I continue to watch all the entry points of the house and kept feeling the kids getting agitated. I began getting Inner Sakura's chakra to perform a barrier around the kids to hide their chakra and offer some protection.

I saw something shatter the window and fall four feet in front of me.

_Was it a bomb?!_

I covered myself with a thin chakra shield expecting an explosion but then suddenly began to feel light-headed all of a sudden.

_Poison…_

I began to lose consciousness and begin falling to the floor.

All I heard was several people screaming "Sakura!" as I was lifted from the floor and taken from my village.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Someone saw Sasuke and Sakura, someone knows of her pregnancy and has now taken her.

The twins picked up on the foreign chakra before Sasuke and Sakura did... could this be one of their abilities?

Thank you so much for the new follows, favorites and of course reviews.


	51. Chapter 51

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 51

* * *

Kakashi's POV

"Sakura!"

My worst nightmare is happening right before my eyes.

I see the cloaked figure pick my wife up and perform some seals before he disappeared in front of me. The only thing that I could do was throw a shuriken at the figure and I caught part of his cloak and tore a piece of fabric.

As soon as the main gate had exploded, I sent some ANBU troops to the gate and I told Tsunade-sama that I had to go find Sakura.

She said, "Do what you must and make sure my grandbabies are safe."

I broke out of the room at my fastest speed and I could feel my ANBU team trying to catch up.

When I saw her body falling to the ground only to be caught by that cloaked figure, an indescribable fear clenched my heart.

A scream broke out from me and I lost it.

Kiba had gotten there a couple of seconds ago and only saw the figure disappeared.

I was going to make a run for it, following any leads that I could smell, but Kiba held on tight to me.

He kept saying that we needed to find some clues instead of going in blind.

Deep down I knew this to be true but… but they had my family and I would murder each one that dared touch my wife and kids.

I was seething and my chakra was giving the most deadly intent that two platoons of ANBU came to our location to see what was the matter.

Naruto landed next to me in full on sage mode.

Shikamaru landed next to me right after Naruto and said, "Kakashi! Get a grip! Let's look for clues so we can follow them. Kiba don't lose your grip on him until he calms down."

Naruto roared and yelled, "Sakura-chan!"

I growled out, "Where the hell is Sasuke?!"

Shikamaru yelled, "Look over there!"  
There were flames that spread across part of the forest and the smell of roasting flesh filled the air.

We ran towards the inferno and we saw the remaining fight between Sasuke and seven ninjas. There was about twenty-seven Sound ninja burned or dying on the ground. He was stabbed in at least three places and had a large gaping gash along his right side.

Sasuke was about to charge up his hands to use chidori but I beat him to it and had already gone through six nins and I held the last one by his neck as I growled out, "Where is she?!"

The Sound nin choked out, "Fuck you!"

Naruto came up right behind him and hit him on the back of the head and knocked him out.

I roared at him, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"  
"Kakashi, I order you to calm down. He won't say anything and you know that if he has a cyanide tablet then we never will. Let Inoichi-san or Ino go through his memories, at least we know that he can't lie to us from a memory scan."

I looked over at Sasuke and he was on the verge of passing out.

Sai and Yamato had just gotten there and were helping him get up.

_My eyes locked with the crimson Sharingan…_

His eyes said everything.

I wanted to get mad at him, I wanted to blame him… but he did exactly what I trained him to do myself.

I had taught him that if he found himself surrounded and there was innocent bystanders, he was to lure them away from the innocent and take them head on, in close combat.

He didn't deviate from my plan, yet Sakura was gone.

Kiba began sniffing the air and when I noticed him, I began doing the same thing as well.

He looked over near a tree branch and saw another piece of blood soaked cloth that had a long red strand of hair on it.

He picked it up and when Sasuke saw it with the Sharingan he said, "Karin! Sensei it's Kabuto."

I pick Sasuke up and throw him over my shoulder.

I yell at everyone, "Regroup at the Hokage Tower we need to assess the damage to the village and have a team head out to find her."

Everyone knew that the her I was talking about was my wife and the wild panicked look in my eyes said that no one would defy my orders.

Shikamaru said that he would stay to investigate for other clues and would meet us shortly.

I yelled at him to look for a shuriken with a piece of cloth that I managed to tear from the piece of shit that took my wife and kids.

As soon as we leave and get to the Tower, Tsunade-sama begins healing Sasuke and asks him what happened.

He said that Sakura had felt a sharp pain from the kids sudden kicks and only when they sent a jolt of chakra is when they felt the presence of another set of chakra outside the house.

Tsunade-sama looked at me and said, "Could they have a sensory ability that we don't know about?"

I kept staring at her and then I looked at the confused group of people in the office.

Tsunade-sama said, "Sasuke continue."

He said that he armed Sakura and went outside to draw the enemy away from where she was. He had thirty-four shinobi on his tail and once he saw, with his Sharingan, that no one was near the house he began fighting them head on.

Shikamaru came in as he was finishing and brought in the piece of cloth.

I summoned my pack, _all of my ninken,_ and had them get the scent of the cloth.

I told them what happened and they immediately darted off in different directions.

I look at Tsunade-sama that had finished healing Sasuke and then I look at Naruto.

I say to them, "As long as I am alive I know that she is too. I could track her with the seals inside her wedding ring but I sent the pack in case they took off her ring. I could try to teleport there but the greater the distance the more chakra it consumes and we might not be able to fight after that. We would be vulnerable because we would teleport right into their hands."

I was pacing back and forth when Neji comes in through the window and says, "Hokage-sama, Kakashi-sama we have managed to prevent the Sound nins from further attack within the village walls, it seems that they were mainly the distraction and infiltrated the village defenses after they took out the guard near the Uchiha compound."

Sasuke says, "If Karin was here then she could pinpoint anyone's specific chakra signature within the city and know where to attack the intended target."

Naruto then says, "Who is the target? If they were looking for me I was running the perimeter of the village when we first heard the explosions, they should have found me on the opposite side of the village then."

Neji maintains his composure underneath his ANBU mask and says, "I don't think you were the target, Naruto-sama. We found this note stabbed into one of our perimeter guards just a few minutes ago."

It said, "Uchiha thank you for providing us with your lover that is carrying the future Uchiha Heir. I am sure that I can get many more years of use from the child than I could ever get from you. Don't worry I won't harm a pretty pink hair on your lover's head as long as she is pregnant with your child. Now a friend of yours might have some fun with her after she delivers through. You know the saying, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. Thank you for all of your work and give my regards to the Kyuubi. Have fun with our friends from Sound, they are dying to meet you."

I stared at the note and then Shikamaru says, "Oh shit… they think that Sakura is pregnant with Sasuke's child. They don't know that she is having twins or that they are Kakashi-senpai's."

I process what he said and Tsunade-sama says, "If Sakura can maintain the chakra barrier like Shizune did she might offer the babies some protection but that would be a constant drain on her chakra and it might cause her to go into labor early. We have to find her before they find out whose kids they are or their true potential."

They all stare at me and then at Tsunade-sama looking for answers.

I tell them about the kids ability to use chakra at their young age and they are shocked to hear that such a thing was possible.

Naruto says, "We need to find them before Kabuto figures this out."

* * *

Sakura's POV

Everything is blurry and I feel my head pounding. Inner Sakura yells at me to conserve my chakra so she can maintain the barrier.

I wouldn't be able to use my chakra at all if I meant to protect my children from this madman.

Kabuto is carrying me and he notices that I am awake, "Ah Sakura… you finally woke up. I see you are trying to protect your child but know this, I will have the Uchiha heir and I will finish what my master and I started with Sasuke all those years ago."

I think to myself, 'He doesn't know that I'm having twins or who the father is. Ok I can work with this, if he wants Sasuke's children so badly there is a chance that he won't harm me while I am pregnant. I know that Kakashi is looking for me right now and I would just have to wait it out. I needed to conserve my chakra to maintain my children's barrier and prevent them from flaring their chakra'.

I whisper to him, "He will come for his child and no one will be able to stop him from tearing you apart when he gets his hands on you."

He raises his hand at me and then thinks twice about it and just says, "Believe me I am counting on his desire to come and rescue his lover and child. You however, have not made a good friend so far, she is extremely upset with you."

Karin walks in and she says, "How could Sasuke-kun ever want you. You're the slut that he chose just to have a child with so he could rebuild his clan. Do you think that he would ever give you the honored place of wife!? Please, it is going to take someone of special skills to be able to please him, and sadly you are not it."

I glare at her direction and she shakes her head and comes up to me and slaps me hard on my face.

Kabuto looks over at her and says, "She is not to be harmed until after she gives birth. Now go and get the rest of my things."

She exits the room and I focus on calming my emotions for the sake of the children. I say in my mind, "Don't worry kids, Daddy will unleash hell on these good for nothing idiots."

I was 5 ½ months pregnant and it was too soon to even deliver twins safely and there was no chance in hell that I would give birth here with this monster. He would probably do unspeakable things to my children if he knew their true potential.

The paralysing poison had begun to wear off and I felt some of my strenght return to me.

Kabuto looked at me after Karin left and tsked, "My, my, Sakura, you don't make friends very well. Now tell me, was finally getting fucked by your sweetheart all that you cracked it up to be? Your stupid infatuation with him was evident since you were genin and well... now you are nothing but an instrument to be fucked and bred until you can repopulate his clan. But since you already have a little Uchiha in there all I have to do is wait until you give birth and take what I want from the new generation of Uchiha, who knows maybe he will be blessed with your chakra strength or control and he might survive some of my experiments."

I was disgusted by the words that and I felt that I wanted to be sick.

He said, "If you slide that opening on that wall, that is where you will receive your meals and water. Don't worry about poisoning, I have to make sure that your baby is strong and healthy to endure what I have in store. Oh, and the bars on this cage will suck the chakra right out of you so I suggest you stay clear of them. And don't think for a minute any transportation seals will work in here. I know how your ANBU moves around and I will not have them teleporting you out. I also know of your strength and I have taken precautions against you using it against me. Do not fret, we will be on the move soon and I'll be sure to throw your friends off track."

_Obviously this idiot has never seen a determined and focused Kakashi track with his ninken._

I sit back into the bedroll that was on the floor and attempt to stop the room from spinning.

I hear Kabuto laugh and say, "Don't fret those are the paralysing agents running their course through your system, they should be out by tomorrow morning, I suggest you sleep and don't worry, Karin will not be allowed in your cell to harm you when you sleep. She knows how important that child is to my work and I will personally kill her if she lays another hand on you. I will bring your dinner in an hour."

As he left I broke down and wept.

I tried to maintain my composure around Kabuto but now that he was gone the sense of loss was heavy in the air.

_Kashi… be safe love… I will be waiting for you and I will hold out for as long as I can._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I was livid.

"We are wasting time…. I need to try to use the seals, I'll take a couple of soldier pills to replenish my chakra and then find a way back home."  
Naruto was as angry as I was and Kurama's chakra would sometimes escape and envelope him.

The same anger reflected within the eyes of everyone else in the room.

Tsunade-saw this and told Sasuke to come to her side, "Sasuke, I am releasing you of your chakra suppressors. I give you full permission to use the Mangekyo if needed to get Sakura back home. You, Kakashi and Naruto will head out and track Sakura by foot if you are not able to find her through the seals in her ring. Yamato, Sai, Kiba, Neji, I leave you in command of the troops fighting Sound. If what the letter says is true then we might be having Sound nins come right up to our doorstep. Shikamaru in the meantime you will head the tactical side of things along with your father. Kakashi, who do you want to leave in charge of ANBU while you are gone?"  
"Genma."

"I will let him know. Here is the soldier pills and here is some emergency teleportation scrolls. You won't be able to use it if Sakura is in labor or if the children have already been born, it will be too much on their bodies."

"Hai."

She summoned one of her slugs and placed her on my shoulder and said, "You are to make sure that they all get back in piece. Protect my grandbabies, and don't let this man get killed, his life is tied down to Sakura's."

The little slug curled up next to my neck and I looked at my Hokage.

Tsunade-sama's eyes darkened and she said, "Oh and Kakashi, leave nothing left."

I nodded and Sasuke, Naruto and I left the Tower to get some battle ready packs I kept in ANBU headquarters.

When we got there they went to get their packs and I went to my office and got my scrolls with the weapons that I had been given as a wedding present. I took Neji's katanas that were still in the scroll and I took the sword that Sasuke gave me and strapped it to my back.

I walked out of the office and I saw Shizune and Genma approaching me.

Shizune was on the verge of crying but she held it together and said, "Kakashi take this. They are Genma's senbon coated with my most powerful poisons. Here is a pack of antidotes that Sakura had been working on."

I take the pack she gave me and look at both and say, "Thank you."

Genma says, "Bring her back… and don't hold back… give them hell."

I rush downstairs where Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for me.

Once we were ready I took off my ring and showed them the specific seals so they would know which ones were the seals that completed it.

I put my ring back on and we simultaneously begin to perform the seals.

_Nothing happened…_

We try again and they don't activate.

I growl in frustration and say, "They must have her somewhere where they can suppress seals or they have found the ring and destroyed it."

We run out of Konoha and once we pass the destroyed gates the three of us call for our summons.

Naruto tells his toads to find Sakura and they say that they will relay the information at once.

Sasuke summoned some snakes and threatened to kill every single one of them if they didn't obey his commands, "You will find Kabuto and tell me where he is, if not there is no one that will save you from what I will do to you. Kabuto's has stolen part of your contract and holds no official hold against you, but I do. I killed Orochimaru and I gained the official contract. You will obey me in this." They hiss at him but nonetheless they do as he asks.

Those snakes have always been a treacherous summons, and they needed someone that was powerful enough to control them. There had been stories of people who couldn't control them and they were killed by their own summons. Sasuke's way of treating his summons was just what those snakes wanted and needed in a master.

I summoned Pakkun and asked how the search was going, he shook his head and said that they hadn't had any leads but they felt that they had moved north.

I looked at Naruto and Sasuke and we all started jumping through the trees in a northern direction.

* * *

A/N: The search for Sakura begins. Kakashi is frantic right now but all of the training that he has had has forced him to at least know that they need to plan and regroup before they leave.

I never really liked Kabuto in the manga/anime so he will be very evil in this fic. Be prepared.

Thank you for your reviews!


	52. Chapter 52

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 52

* * *

Sakura's POV

It's been two days since I was taken and I have somehow managed to keep the barrier on the kids.

Kabuto has given me food and water and no one has come into this… cell.

_I don't know where I am and I don't know how long we will be here._

Although, I did hear Kabuto say that we might have to move out pretty soon.

Last night I tore the bottom hem of my shirt and took off my wedding ring and tied it to my ankle underneath my boot.

If the only thing that was keeping me alive right now was that they believed that I carried Sasuke's child, I couldn't have them see my wedding band.

On the first night that I saw my wedding ring's seals begin to glow, and I knew that Kakashi was trying to locate me with that.

I hid my ring underneath my gloves so they didn't notice the light coming from it.

At night when all was silent, and I knew that everyone had gone to bed I would let my chakra rest and so I could try to build up enough for the next day.

It was during this time, that I would take out my wedding ring and put a slight charge of chakra so that Kakashi would know that I am still alive.

_Kashi… I love you… I'll protect the kids until you get here._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We have been searching for the last two days non stop and as much as my body is screaming for me to stop, my heart and my mind manage to get me to keep moving.

I looked to my left and Sasuke had the same look on his face.

Naruto, who had insane amounts of chakra, was the one that had the most stamina but even he was showing signs of getting tired.

I sighed and I said, "Guys, lets stop and take a break. We will be in no shape to rescue her or protect her if we are exhausted and have no chakra left."

"Sensei.."

"But Kaka-sensei, Sakura-chan…."  
I glare at him and yell, "Don't you think I know!"

Naruto was about to say something but Sasuke glares at him and says, "Shut up dobe!"

I sit on the ground and I immediately feel my muscles screaming in protest as we stopped after two days of constant running.

I pull off my gloves and show them my wedding ring.

I say to them, "Last night I felt her chakra in the seals of my ring and well… look."  
I had been feeling my ring warm up with chakra and they could suddenly see the light glow that it emitted.

Naruto said, "If she does that every night then we will at least know that she is ok. Maybe we could communicate with her?"

"We can't risk it. If Kakashi does use his chakra on the seals, we run the risk of revealing everything."

I nod and then say, "Guys, let's eat something and rest for a couple of hours. If she can use her chakra this late at night then it means that she is not in danger right now. Once we know where she is, we might be able to use her signal as the ok to go in and rescue her."

I tried to get some sleep but all I saw when I closed my eyes was images of my wife as I saw her before I went to see the Hokage and then the image of her unconscious body being taken away.

_Kami… I pray that my wife and children are safe._

* * *

Sakura's POV

The next day we move again. Somehow Kabuto disassembled the cell that I was in and he put some chakra suppressors on me.

He smiled at me and then said, "Don't worry Sakura I will make sure you have enough Chakra to supply that little Uchiha you have in there. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him."  
I absolutely hate this man.

As he tied me to the cart I was able to prick my finger on the tip of an exposed nail and let a couple drops of blood fall on the floor.

_If the ninken were following my scent I know that they will find the blood and catch on the trail._

We begin walking and I immediately heal the small cut. I don't want him to catch me and I really don't want to get tetanus.

As we continue to walk Karin walks along me and Kabuto just gives her a warning look before continuing on.

She says, "You know you really are a whore, or maybe your whole team is all messed up in the head. How did you go from being with the Copy Ninja and then throwing yourself on Sasuke-kun. I knew you were desperate but the Copy Nin must be really screwed up to live with the girl who turned her back on him and slept with his student. I know… you must have drugged Sasuke-kun and he is now forced to be with you since you are carrying his baby. Well just wait until the brat is finally born, I'll kill you and then show Sasuke-kun what a real woman is capable of."

I say nothing to this deranged woman and continue to walk silently.

"Look at me! I saw him touching you and talking to that baby in there... it's like you bewitched him or something. He could never love a lying, cheating whore like you. I bet you don't even know who the baby's father is and when that kid is born, if it is not Sasuke-kun's I will make sure that you pay for leading him on like that."

I stare at her and I must have had a bewildered look on my face because I really didn't understand this woman.

She said, "See… you can't even deny it. I know that you are hiding the truth and when I find out I will make you pay."

I continue walking forward but I say to her just above a whisper, "Karin, would you hurt Sasuke that much by allowing his own flesh and blood to be handed over to the likes of Kabuto. How much love do you think Sasuke will have towards you if he knew you had something to do with this. Regardless if you like me or not, you should care for the innocent baby inside me."

I felt her rage from behind and she came right beside me and slapped me again across the face.

I didn't say a word but Kabuto heard the sound and he immediately flashed to Karin and kicked her on the side and then did some seals that activated a seal on her forehead and she automatically stilled.

She got up, didn't even dust herself off, and continued to walk straight forward without saying another word.

Kabuto walked next to me and said, "I apologize for her rudeness. It will not happen again. Maybe... Maybe once the kid is out I might place this special seal on you and have my way with you. Could you imagine what our offspring could do in the world of medicine?"

I suppressed my need to vomit and just held my stomach a little tighter.

If my children were not in danger, I would personally assassinate all of them here and now.

We continue traveling and stop a few hours later and we break for dinner.

I had been too disgusted to eat anything for lunch after what Kabuto said.

We set out once again and I again pricked my finger and let a couple of drops of blood fall on the ground. We stop once it is too dark to see and Kabuto begins drawing a transportation seal on the ground. He said that his other two teammates have the corresponding seal in another location and we would teleport there in a few minutes.

Once we made teleported, I again drop some blood nearby and then I send some chakra into my ring sometime after midnight.

_Day three is over and I know that Kakashi will come for me._

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We have been following Sakura's trail of blood for the last two weeks and she manages to leave her blood behind and then Kabuto teleports them to another location.

This is so frustrating and it worries me that Sakura is now 6 months pregnant and could very well go into labor due to the stress that she is in.

Naruto is as frustrated as me and Sasuke has become somewhat distant, blaming himself over what happened.

I sit there by the campfire looking at the map trying to see if there is a pattern to the way that they are travelling.

Sasuke comes and sits next to me and says, "May I see that Sensei?"

I hand him the map that I had marked all of the spots my ninken had found some blood.

He studies it for sometime and then he says, "Why didn't I see this before! Sensei they are travelling along most of the abandoned Akatsuki safe houses. They don't look to be staying in any of them just setting camp nearby. Here, let me mark all of the ones that I know of."

Naruto had been listening to us and he said, "He must be trying to throw us off by the random pattern but if he is after the babies then he will ultimately stop at a place that will have medical equipment for the delivery."

I think stress and exhaustion are getting to me because I did not see that pattern or come to that conclusion until now.

I look at Sasuke and say, "Do you know which safehouse will be have the equipment and be as close to Sound as possible?"

"I think it might be this one, but it is too obvious. He knows that I would come if they had my child and he would expect us to prepare an ambush there."

Naruto then says, "Do we have another choice right now?"

I shake my head and we decide to head towards Sound after we sleep for the next three hours.

We didn't go to sleep until we saw the light emit from my wedding ring.

Just knowing that Sakura was safe allowed us to rest for a couple of hours.

After some rest we silently got our things ready and headed towards Sound.

* * *

A/N: Sorry so short, having to deal with a migraine tonight. Hopefully my writing is not so bad I wrote it this morning but I don't know if I edited what I wanted. Apologies to all.

Please review! Oh yeah I will be moving the pregnancy along so there will be several times skips during the abduction.


	53. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 53

* * *

Sakura's POV

I know that we are no longer in Fire country and that we must be getting close to Sound. The terrain is different and the climate has changed as well.

I am so exhausted by the end of the day that all I can do is send the little chakra I can spare into my ring to let Kakashi know that I am safe.

_Where are you love?_

Kabuto has been sleeping closer and closer to my cell each night and it is worrying me more and more with each passing day.

Karin has continued in her zombie like trance and only does what she is told and nothing else.

_Deep inside I pity the poor girl._

As we come to a stopping point for lunch, Kabuto walks up to me and whispers, "I can tell why the Uchiha spoke rather possessively of you while he was with us all of those years ago. You are very beautiful and have some rather unique gifts that would serve any shinobi well. I could see why Sasuke only would want to rebuild his clan with you. He always had a soft spot for you and I would sometimes hear him call out your name as his nightmares took hold of him during the night. I remember this one time, my master was trying to get him to fuck this girl so he could have some offspring, and he could have another body to take over once Sasuke's body began to fail, and he absolutely refused. Wow, you must have one strong tie around his heart that he chose to be loyal to you for all of those years. Well… no matter. Just you wait until I make you mine, you won't even know who Sasuke is by the time I am done with you. I would like to hear my name pass these pretty lips while I make you come and make you forget who you are."

I shuddered when his breath fanned the back of my neck. As he left I picked up the rest of the food left on my plate and stood to go dump it in the fire.

I was debating if I should kill him myself or let Kakashi finish him off for me.

The thought of my husband's Chidori going right through this mans chest was a comforting image at the moment.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We get to Sound and set up camp in a nearby cave. We have been patrolling the area and we haven't gotten any news from any of our summons. My pack was exhausted and I had to force them to sleep. They were just as worried and wanted to help in any way that they could.

Naruto's toads had heard that there were some reports of two men sailing on the northern coast of Sound that fit the description of Suigetsu and Jugo.

Sasuke's snakes said that a group of cloaked travelers was seen entering the borders of Sound.

_She's getting closer to us._

We should replenish our chakra with a day of rest and by then Sakura should be nearer to where we are.

Sasuke chose this cave in specific because it gave us the ability to launch a surprise attack.

We were all seated by the fire and Sasuke and I were sharpening our blades when a snake came up to Sasuke and said, "They are heading north. It was a sudden change and they are heading towards the northern border towards the shore."

A toad appears before Naruto and reports the same thing.

I gather my things and prepare to leave.

I summoned my pack and said to them, "Go to the northern border of Sound. Search for the ship and make sure you don't lose track of them. Once they get on the ship they will be harder to track and a rescue will be more difficult at sea."  
Naruto and Sasuke already have their things ready and we head out.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I am absolutely exhausted, my legs are swollen and there is a slight pressure on my lower abdomen.

Kabuto has given me a weird look all day.

He comes up to me and says, "I could help you out if you let me?"  
_Huh? What the hell is all this about?_

I looked at him and said, "No thank you, it's all part of normal pregnancy. This baby just takes a bit more of my chakra than normal."

"Yeah I can tell. If by the amount of chakra that this baby is draining from you, he will be a very powerful shinobi. Most pregnancies just take about ⅛ to ¼ of the mother's chakra to sustain life but by the way you tire out this one is taking a little over half. I wonder if this child will awaken the Sharingan before Itachi did? You know Sasuke was a bit of a late bloomer and if my master could have gotten a hold of Itachi, all of this would have been unnecessary. You really are very beautiful Sakura, I wonder if we had met under other circumstances you would have even considered me as a potential partner?"  
_Do I have to answer that? You disgust me you pathetic worthless excuse for a human._

"I could make you happy. I could erase those memories and we can start anew… with all the things that I have learned over the years, I know that I can make you… want… me."

His words were horrifying and I couldn't help but visibly shudder.

He gives me a dark chuckle and says in a low tone, "Sakura… my… cherry… blossom."  
_I close my eyes to try to shut out his words._

"I can see how my words affect you, and I can't wait until I can rearrange some of those memories in that pretty little head of yours. I can make you think that Sasuke raped you and that is why you have his child. Imagine the look on his face when I make you hate him with all you have and lead you to kill him yourself. Do you think that he would kill the mother of his child? Do you think he loves you enough to come looking for you? Or better yet, we can train your son to hate his father and we can send him to kill him himself, now wouldn't that be fun?"

_This man is sick, he is the most despicable being that I have ever met. How could he say these things and believe that any woman in their right mind would fall to her knees in front of him?_

"Sakura, I can see how your breathing has changed, your pulse has quickened… are you turned on by this?" He traces his thumb over my cheek, just grazing my bottom lip.  
_I shudder and I try not to cringe._

I can't use any of my chakra in fear of lowering the barrier that I placed over the twins.

_Kashi… where are you?_

He chuckles and says, "Soon… Sakura…. I will make you mine soon enough."

He leaves me as we suddenly shift paths and begin heading north.

When we break for lunch, I sit next to a small pond and place my feet in the water.

Kabuto looks at me and sees that I am trying to relieve the pressure of my ankles and goes to check on our supplies.

I hear a slight croak coming from the water and a small red/orange toad silently hops to the ground next to me.

I look at it and I can see the intelligence behind those eyes… this is no ordinary toad…. this is one of Naruto's summons.

I try to hide my emotions and I see that the toad is writing something in the mud for me to read.

I look down and my eyes widen but I say nothing.

_Kakashi is coming._

They know we are headed to the shore and I have to make sure that I don't get on the boat.

I write that I am ok, the babies are ok, and that I will try to stall for as much time as I can.

Before the toad leaves I write, '_Tell him I love him'_.

He sees what I wrote and nods before going back into the pond.

I get up from where I was sitting and then I step all over the mud that we had written our messages.

My heart is light just knowing that Kakashi survived the attacks on Konoha and is on his way to get us.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

We had been travelling when Naruto suddenly flared his chakra and we came to an abrupt stop.

I looked at him and he jumped towards the small river that was nearby.

He whispered, "I felt one of my summons call to me."  
We all stopped at the bank and looked at the water to see any signs of movement.

A small red/orange toad appeared and said, "I have news from Sakura."

My heart clenched and I stood there holding my breath.

Naruto knelt near the small toad and said, "What's the news?"  
"She is still held captive by Kabuto. She says she is ok and that the babies are ok. I told her that we are heading towards the shore and she said she will try to stall for time."

I let out the breath that I was holding and hang my head in relief of just hearing that she is ok.

The toad says, "Kakashi-san, she sends her love to you."

I dropped to my knees in front of the toad and said, "Thank you…"

The toad looked at me and said, "She didn't say, but I can tell that she is not doing so good. She looks like she is stressed out and has some signs of chakra exhaustion. Her ankles are swollen and it looks like she is getting close to giving birth."

My heart almost stops as I hear those words.

_I need to get to her as soon as possible._

_There is no way in hell that our children will be born while she is in the hands of that madman._

After hearing this the three of us took off with renewed speed.

There was no reason to stop if it meant that Sakura's life might be in danger and if she was going to stall we needed to take advantage of it as much as we could.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I felt that the kids had been constantly moving today and I had a lot of pressure on my lower abdomen.

I knew that once the toad informed Kakashi and Naruto they would rush here.

_I needed to stall._

I walk towards the a fallen branch and lean back on it.

Kabuto had been watching me and I knew that as a medic he could tell the signs of labor just as easily as I could.

I prayed that my body would hold on, and I forced myself to relax. Inner Sakura told me to rest and she would maintain the chakra barrier up.

I closed my eyes for just a second but when I opened them, I had a blanket on me and Kabuto was laying down a few feet from me.

Apparently, I had fallen asleep for some time since the sky was beginning to darken.

He opened his eyes when I woke and he said, "It is amazing how one small body could consume that much chakra, he will be a fearsome shinobi. Please rest Sakura… I need you to be strong for the journey ahead."

I looked at the blanket and forced myself to express some feigned gratitude.

_It was best to play it safe for now._

"Ummm…. thank you." I said with a small voice and to my revulsion, Kabuto smiled at me and reached over to move a stray lock of hair from my face."

He sighs and says, "Your skin and hair are so soft…"

I close my eyes and try to ignore his touch and his words.

"Sakura… look at me."  
I open my eyes and force my gaze towards his direction.

"I can be very gentle you know… I can… I can make you happy… I know that you want to be happy and I can give you that. Sound has given me great power and I can make sure that no harm come to you."

_I want to vomit._

_I want to drive a kunai straight into his skull and watch him bleed to death._

_I want him to suffer for all the hurt that he has caused the people who were subjected to his experiments._

_I hate him._

Inner Sakura yelled at me, _"Calm down girl. The babies don't need to feel any of this anger! Is this what you want in their hearts!?"_  
I am startled by her words and I remember that they absorb the feelings around them. Thank Kami that the barrier is preventing them from feeling anything outside of my healing chakra.

_I need to calm down._

I take a deep breath and then say, "Goodnight Kabuto."

He smiles and then grabs my hand and gives it a kiss.

I turn my back to him and when I feel him settle down to go to sleep, I furiously rub my hands to get his touch off of me.

When I felt it safe, I charged up some chakra and sent it to my wedding ring still concealed around my ankle.

_Kashi… Hurry!_

* * *

A/N: Sakura is all stressed out and she is attempting to maintain a chakra barrier which can't be good for her pregnancy. Her anger towards him is starting to show internally and Inner Sakura is trying to prevent the twins from feeling it.

Kabuto is still not aware of the twins but I hate that Sakura has had to start acting civil towards his advances, just to stall for time. He is just acting all creepy by being nice to her all of a sudden and then he takes her signs of obvious disgust to mean that she is turned on. This dude is losing his touch with reality.

As much as Karin annoys me, I kinda feel bad for her in her zombie like trance. I don't like the way Kabuto has literally mind-controlled his way into making Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo into doing what he pleases. Although he clearly played on Karin's affections towards Sasuke, it was Karin who initially misinterpreted what she saw through the window and reported it back to Kabuto.

Sakura was never the intended target but after Karin tells Kabuto that she saw Sakura and Sasuke in the Uchiha compound as he touched her baby bump and talked to the twins, he took this as a chance to lure both Sasuke and Naruto out of Konoha.

Please review!


	54. Chapter 54

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 54

* * *

Kakashi's POV

As we run through Sound the only thing that is on my mind is getting to Sakura on time. She is about 6 1/2 months pregnant and by what the toad said she was on the verge of giving birth.

Naruto has been cloaking us with his chakra and we have the soldier pills Tsunade-sama gave us in case of an emergency.

_We should get to the border by midnight if we don't stop._

My ninken had been tracking the ship and they still had not reached the harbor so it was safe to say that we might outmaneuver them if we needed too.

Sasuke had told us all about his former teammates abilities and he said that he would take on Karin and Suigetsu. Naruto would take on Jugo and his Shadow clones will help with any other Sound shinobi that might be with them.

Sasuke said, "Kabuto will expect me to attack him head on and have someone else get Sakura. He expects my anger to get the better of me and rush into things like I used to before."

I think about what he said and tell him, "Sasuke, when we get there, I am entrusting Sakura to you. You have the speed and with the Sharingan you will be better prepared to stop anyone from attacking you. I will level the enemy nins with my chakra and Naruto can go and finish them off. Kabuto's head is mine."

Naruto agrees, looks at me and says, "If Kabuto doesn't know that she is your wife then it will be completely unexpected for you to attack him first. Sasuke before you leave the battlefield with Sakura let me cloak her with my chakra to give her some protection."

"Agreed."

I notice how much we have travelled and I tell Sasuke and Naruto that if were to take the ship first and let them come to us it might make them drop their guard.

Naruto grins and Sasuke nods and we rush towards the shore line at the rendezvous point that my ninken set up.

* * *

Sakura's POV

The pressure was getting stronger and I knew that it was due to all the stress and travel.

I kept eating small portions of food to keep my stomach settled and Kabuto was continuing to be extra creepy and attentive.

"My cherry blossom, you need to rest. I don't want you going into labor early now."

He ran a finger down my back as he gave me some water.

"Here you must hydrate yourself."

I take the water and drink it, not because he requested it but because my children needed it.

He has seemed to lower his guard when he is attempting to 'seduce' me.

_Gross._

I hand the water bottle back and say, "Thank you."

He gives me that creepy smile again and leans in and tries to kiss me.

I jerk my head by instinct and he scowls at me, "You ungrateful bitch. Just you wait, I will punish you for this!"

I flinch at his words and protect my stomach when I feel the sharp sting of his hand as it hits me squarely on the jaw.

I feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth and I know that my lip is bleeding and will soon be swelling.

With no chakra to buffer the hit I felt my brain be addled by the force he put into it.

I groan out but I continue to maintain the chakra barrier and I bite back the urge to cry.

_I will not give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing me cry._

My groan seemed to snap Kabuto out of his rage and he immediately cups my face and says, "I'm sorry darling. I didn't mean to hit you. Please don't cry... let me heal it for you baby."

I shake my head and shrink back from his touch.

I see anger flash in his eyes and I say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry please just let me go. I learned my lesson."

He sees my actions as a form of submission and he says, "I will forgive you this time, but don't forget who you belong to now."

I nod and continue to 'cower' from him.

He leaves me alone but then comes back and leaves a bowl of water and some clean gauze bandages. There is a bowl of soup next to them and he thankfully leaves me alone for the rest of the night.

The next morning Kabuto walks up to me and grabs my wrist and begins to pull me to him.

I try to resist but he grabs hold of both of my arms and hugs me.

If I knew how to use lightning I would have chidori this bastard right now.

He sighs into my neck and says, "Sakura, I had a dream that you left me."

I wanted to say, '_Yeah that is what I have been dreaming about since day one_'.

Instead I say nothing and just allow him to hold me.

He whispers in my ear, "We will get to our ship by noon and be off to where they won't find us."

I continue to hold my stomach and I say to him, "May I please have breakfast first?"

He chuckles and says, "Of course my blossom. Here I will have Karin make you an omelet."

"Ummm I really would prefer some rice porridge if we have some. I don't want anything too heavy if we will be traveling again."

He thinks about it and then nods, "You're right, you are getting further along. I won't be long now and just think in a couple of months from now we will finally be able to be together."

I lower my head to hide my ire but he takes it as another sign of submission.

I walk up to Karin who is preparing the food in an almost forced manner and I say to her, "I got this Karin, you can go rest now."

Her eyes are vacant and she follows my orders and continues on with her other duties.

I got a better look at the seal on her forehead but it didn't look like a curse seal or even what the branch house of the Hyuga were forced to have placed. This seal looked intricate, like if it was wired to their brains.

I got my food and began to eat slowly and pretended like I was taking my time so I wouldn't throw up. It seemed to work because no one rushed me.

By the time I was finished everyone had packed up and we started making our way to Kabuto's ship.

I hope the extra hour and a half I wasted gave Kakashi a chance to get here.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

_(A couple of hours before...)_

We got to the shore at midnight and my ninken gave me the location of the ship.

The three of us went into a ANBU stealth move attack. We hid our chakra and approached the ship in the cover of night.

For once Naruto was absolutely silent and you could see that he was in Sage mode by the look in his eyes.

Sasuke had activated the Sharingan and was moving to the opposite side of the ship.

I was going to go through one of the openings along the port side and would actually be below deck and slowly emit my white chakra up above to help subdue them while Naruto and Sasuke attacked from the sides.

We moved and got into position.

I managed to get right below them and began to emit my chakra in very low levels so they wouldn't notice. I increased it as I felt them pace nervously back and forth.

I counted in my head and when I felt Naruto and Sasuke hit the deck, I punched through the deck and grabbed one of Suigetsu's and one of Jugo's legs and I infused some of my most frightening chakra straight into their system.

I had paralysed them with fear and I felt when Sasuke and Naruto attacked. We were able to subdue them relatively quickly and quietly.

Sasuke bound them with chakra ropes and I placed a containment seal around the seal on their foreheads.

I had learned this from Jiraiya but I added something that Kushina-sama had taught me when I guarded her during her pregnancy. She had told me that Minato-sensei wouldn't have minded if I learned.

It seemed that they were temporarily rendered unconscious but they began to come to and they looked around and the first thing that they saw was Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan and he threw them into Tsukuyomi where he interrogated them.

When he released them, he turned to us and said that they don't remember most of the things that they did. They didn't even know how they got on the ship. Most of their memories were interrupted after they were released from our custody and sent to Sound. They remember a hooded figure coming to visit them after Sound interrogated them.

Sasuke turns to them and he says to them, "That cloaked figure was Kabuto. He placed this seal on the both of you and you have done his bidding since then."

They both were angered by his mere mention but when they looked at Sasuke they said, "You know we wouldn't have betrayed you. We were willing to accept the punishment that Konohagakure gave us. Let us help you."

I think about it and I say, "Unfortunately we don't know if the seal he placed on you will activate again or if I was able to break it. It might break if the caster is dead but right now, we cannot risk that. If you want to help I will have to keep this containment seal on you and the chakra suppressors stay."

They both nodded and we began to continue to sail the ship into the harbor.

We will mount a surprise attack from both sides and hopefully trap them between the ship and their only exit.

_Sakura I am near... I will get you out of this._

We anchor the ship and then begin to set up our traps.

They probably won't get here till morning or sometime after noon because Sakura didn't send me her nightly signal until close to 2am.

_That alone worried me to no end._

We decided to rest for tonight and try to regain as much chakra as we can, tomorrow we will deal with Kabuto and I will finally have Sakura in my arms.

* * *

A/N: So I am almost finished writing the next chapter and it is going to be good! I can't wait for y'all to read it.

Sorry this chapter was so short, I have a graduation party to attend to tonight, so that is why I am posting early today. I promise tomorrow's chapter will be very exciting. I am almost done with it, I might post it tonight if I have time.

Thank you for the reviews.

Again I think that I am going to move forward with the Twin's story but I need some ideas, Please inbox me with any suggestions.

I probably will write a one or two-shot story between Sakura and an Uchiha (haven't decided between Sasuke or Itachi- _I am leaning towards Itachi_) before I continue with the Hatake Twins story.

I need to brainstorm and write an outline. I have written the second part of this story day-to-day and sometimes I feel like I am not doing the story justice and I don't want to let down any of my readers. The first part of "Bleeding Out" was pretty much planned beforehand, but since the pregnancy it pretty much has been from my brain straight onto my laptop.

Well enough jabbering and I will get back to finishing chapter 55.

Love to all,

Leosbabygirl84!


	55. Chapter 55

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 55

* * *

Sakura's POV

The trip to shore was slow going and all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

My head was still hurting from Kabuto's hit last night and I didn't have it in me to heal my lip.

I was concentrating most of my chakra in keeping the barrier on the kids.

The only thing that kept me going was the fact that Kakashi was coming.

I knew he would be there.

The faster we got to the northern border the faster I will see my husband.

_Kashi…. I am… so… tired._

I felt like my feet were moving automatically, I really wasn't paying attention to any of the surroundings and Kabuto kept getting closer to me as we walked ahead.

I can feel the salty breeze of the shoreline ahead and I know we are getting close.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I set up some clones on the ship and I hid along the treeline.

I had the best vantage and I would be able to see them as they approached.

Sasuke had told us that Karin would be able to sense our chakra so we should stay in stealth mode for as long as possible.

Suigetsu and Jugo would flare their chakra to welcome Kabuto and his team in, but since we bound them to the ship they wouldn't be any help during the fight.

Naruto was in Sage mode and he whispered, "She is near… get ready."

I looked at Sasuke and he placed his hand on his heart and bowed his head to me.

_His sign of his silent promise._

* * *

This morning when we woke up I saw him sitting on the edge of the shore and when I sat next to him he looked at me and said, "Sensei I promise to get Sakura and move her as far away from the fighting as possible. I will protect your family… our family…. with my life."

I simply say, "Thank you Sasuke."

I grab the sword that I had strapped to my back and hand it over to Sasuke.

He looks at his sword and then looks at me, I say, "You have had my respect for the longest time, I knew you were worthy of this the minute you turned yourself over to Konoha and didn't resist. Humility is hard to come by and a harder path to follow. You are worthy of this and I am proud to have you as part of my family. I'm entrusting Sakura and the kids to you, not just because of your skill, but because you promised my children that you would be their sensei. Now earn that title and protect them."

He bowed deeply to me and said, "It would be my honor."

* * *

As we watched the road from the trees, Sasuke's attention was now fully focused on finding Sakura's pink hair so he could rush off to get her away before the fighting started.

We see the first squad of Sound nins approach harbor. Our clones could take care of them, once they got on the ship.

The next person to walk by was Karin but she looked like a living puppet. Her movements were stiff and her expression was void of any emotion.

I felt Sakura's chakra spike and I turned to see her leaning in pain against a tree.

Kabuto came up to her and….

_Did he just kiss her!? Did that piece of shit just touch MY wife?!_

Sasuke cursed and Naruto snarled in their direction.

I got up and started running towards them, then I saw him tie her up...

_The next thing I heard was my undoing…._

All I heard was Sakura's scream.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I didn't notice how the rest of the people we had travelled with had already gone on ahead of us. I was lagging behind and Kabuto was now feet behind me.

I could feel his stare burning a hole on my skull but I continued walking.

The twins kicked really hard at the same time and it nearly doubled me over in pain.

I staggered towards a nearby tree and I leaned against it.

I didn't even feel when Kabuto came up behind me and ran his hands down my shoulders and placed them on my hips.

He leaned in and kissed my ear and said, "Ohh… you are so ready. It won't be long know."

I tried to move away but he held me as he took my hands and tied them quickly behind my back.

He moved my hair and then ran his tongue along my neck.

_I began hyperventilating._

_I am going to pass out._

He began to run his hands on my breasts and said, "You know that they can get very sensitive during pregnancy."

I screamed and then he began to run his hands along my stomach and I felt his chakra trying to enter my system.

He hissed in my ear and said, "You bitch... what are you hiding!"

He turned me around and then he hit me once more.

I was falling and the next thing I know I felt arms wrap around me and carry me away.

I heard a familiar voice say, "Sakura, you're safe now."

Then I heard another familiar voice yell, "Sakura-chan!"

The last thing I heard before passing out was the roar of my husband's voice as a thousand birds chirping take over my senses and the whole area is filled with a beautiful blue light.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I saw that piece of shit touch my wife and then turn her around and then he did the unthinkable.

_He hit her._

Sasuke said something but we were both already running towards her at our top speed.

I see her falling and then I see Sasuke flash before me and catch her before she hit the floor.

When I felt their chakra presence leave the area. I roared and let out all the feelings that I have felt for the past couple of weeks. My white chakra spread in a fifty yard radius around me and I incapacitated everyone within that field.

I looked ahead and all I saw was Kabuto's frightened face.

I threw some kunai that hit each one of his limbs and struck the tree behind him.

He was trapped and he knew it.

I had severed some ligaments and there was no way that he could move.

I charged up my chidori and his eyes grew wide with fear.

I growled, "You took my wife…. You put my children in danger…. You will die."

He managed to say, "Y-Your wife… children…?!"

I pierced his chest with my arm and took out his heart from his chest.

He continued to look at me for a few seconds before I dropped his lightning-charred heart on the ground and I took the two katana's that I had strapped on my back and brought both on each side of his neck.

There was a spray of blood and then I heard his head roll on the ground.

I didn't look back, I ran towards Sakura.

Naruto and Sasuke were with her already, I could feel their chakra signatures.

I heard most of Naruto's Shadow Clones fighting the Sound shinobi in the background but I only had one thing on my mind and that was to get to my family.

I ran.

Sasuke took her about 200 yards from where we were.

I see them cradling her body between the both of them as Naruto gently called out to her, "Sakura-chan… we are here."

Sasuke gently moved her hair from her face and then looked up at me and said, "Sensei… she won't wake up."  
Ice ran through my veins and I collapsed on the ground next to her.

I opened my arms to her and they let me take her as I placed her on my lap.

She looked like she was sleeping but I saw the gash on her cheek and the healing cut on her lip. Her tear tracks were visible and her hair had lost its usual shine.

I kissed her.

_She didn't respond._

I kissed her again.

_Nothing._

I screamed out to the heavens, "SAKURA!"

I began to cry as I held her in my arms.

_No Kami…. Please…. Not her…. not them…. my wife… my children._

I kissed her forehead and then let her body be flooded with all of my love and affection towards her and my children.

My hands were on her stomach and I could still feel the barrier that she put up.

I slowly begin to push her barrier down and let my chakra engulf her fully.

I heard Naruto begin to weep as he kept saying in a low voice, "Wake up Sakura-chan… wake up… "

I looked up and Sasuke's Sharingan was taking in every detail but there were tears silently running down his face.

He placed his hand on Sakura's stomach and Naruto's hands covered both mine and Sasuke's. He began to let his chakra flow into her, through us, as her body was replenished with the lifeforce of the three of us.

We felt her stir and I could see her pulse on her neck quicken.

The kids sent out a jolt of chakra that went right through our hands and Sakura's eyes flew open.

* * *

Sakura's POV

There was a warm feeling coming from my center. I felt engulfed in a wave of tender love and it was like a caress on my soul.

_This was Kakashi. His very essence._

I knew how his white chakra felt… it was pure and full of love.

His strength was being emitted into my soul and I could feel his every need, desire and thoughts when he transmitted his feelings into me.

I then felt a wave of cool chakra flood me, it felt like basking in the moonlight on a clear night. This feeling was new and it felt very different from Kakashi's, it wasn't threatening at all, but gave me a sense of security.

The next wave I felt was like pure sunshine, it was warm and welcoming and it gave me a feeling of happiness.

These three distinct feelings made me feel completely surrounded by love.

I felt a surge come out of me in something that was indescribable.

I saw nothing but white light and this feeling was coming from… from… from my babies.

This was the simplest form of love that I have ever felt.

It was giving and had no malice, no taint of death or war.

It was pure.

I opened my eyes with the jolt that my children gave me and what I saw before me made me fall to pieces.

The men that meant so much to me, where there holding me, pouring their life energy into me.

Sasuke, his crimson Sharingan, taking in everything… memorizing every second.

His tear streaked face softened when I smiled in his direction.

He was my moon, ever-changing in its phases but always there.

He was the one that gave me the feeling of being out on a moonlit night.

His strength came from a dark place but was now reflecting all the light that we shared with him.

I brought my hand to his cheek and he placed a kiss on my palm before scooting away.

I then saw Naruto.

He was openly weeping but when he saw my face his smile is what took over.

He was my sun.

That smile was so captivating and made you want to follow him anywhere.

Naruto's energy was bright like the sun, yet it didn't burn you, nor did it make you want to hide away from that shining light.

His happiness was infectious and that was his constant. No matter what I could count on him to always see the bright side of things.

I moved away a stray lock of blond hair so I could see his sky blue eyes.

He was now crying and smiling at the same time.

"Oh Sakura-chan… You are ok!"

I hugged him and he let go and moved back.

Kakashi's face is all I saw when Naruto moved back.

His eyes were red and he continued to cry.

His mask was gone and his lips were parted.

There was a spray of red in his silver hair but all I wanted to do was run my fingers through his hair to make sure that he was real.

He quickly took me in his arms and I could feel his muscles tighten around me as he let out a breath of relief.

He took a deep breath and took in my scent once more.

I ran my fingers through his hair and gave it a slight tug.

I wanted to see his face.

His eyes rolled back slightly as I pulled gently and I took in his reaction.

His lips were parted in a silent prayer and I kissed him.

I have never wanted to kiss this man as much as I did right now.

He began to kiss me urgently and when we both needed air he only broke apart slightly so I could catch my breath.

Our foreheads touching I said, "I'm home now."

This is what Kakashi was to me, he was my home, my everything.

His strength was what would hold our family together.

He was my rock, my center, my reason to breathe.

I not only trusted my life to him but my heart and soul as well.

I knew that he would never leave me and he would always be there for his family.

Love, loyalty, and a devotion to his precious people is what drew me to him.

What bound me to him was his heart and soul.

I felt his hands entangle in my hair as he kissed me once more.

The jolt of chakra that our kids gave us is what broke our kiss and Kakashi immediately placed his hands over his children and began to kiss my stomach. He whispered, "I love you both. I will never leave you or your mother. My family is my everything and I will do all that I can to protect you."

The kids began to kick and I laughed at how they reacted to their father. Their chakra was just like Kakashi's they emitted love to each one present here.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sasuke and Naruto got up and they said that they would go back and finish off the rest of the Sound shinobi before they had a chance to call for reinforcements.

We would need to get back to Konoha to make sure that Sakura was ok.

I nod and wave them off.

_I need to hold my wife._

Sakura had laid her head on my shoulder and had began to fall asleep.

I take in every detail of her condition.

The kids had settled down after I pushed my chakra in her body.

There were classic signs of chakra exhaustion, she needed proper food and rest.

Her face was marred by the now bruising mark on her jaw, the bleeding cut on her cheek, and another faint bruise on her other cheek.

_That bastard hit my wife twice!_

Her lip had signs of recently been cut open and it was slightly swollen.

The dark circles under her eyes mirrored my own but the stress lines that now marked her face made my stomach wrench.

She had been in a constant state of stress and worry and it was taking a toll on her body.

I can only guess at her inner strength to be able to maintain such a strong barrier around our children.

She had obviously rerouted most of her chakra in protecting the kids and left little to protect her self.

I could still somehow smell the scent of that piece of shit Kabuto on her neck.

I took out my water bottle and grabbed some gauze from my pack.

I wet it and began to clean her cut lip first, then the cut on her cheek.

I then took to cleaning her face and then her neck to her collarbone.

_I needed to cleanse my wife of him._

Sakura stirred and opened her eyes slightly.

She said, "Kashi…" and tried to lift her hand to touch my face.

I grabbed her hand and placed it on my cheek.

"I'm here love, I'm real. You're safe now. Rest… I'll protect you."

She smiled and cuddled closer to my chest and fell back asleep.

She looked more peaceful as she breathed in my scent and grabbed the front of my shirt.

Even though she was asleep she had a death grip on my shirt and was not going to let go anytime soon.

I reached into my collar and took out the slug that Tsunade-sama had given me and I whisper to it, "Please evaluate Sakura and let me know what we should do."

The small slug began glowing and began healing Sakura's cuts and bruises.

The slug looked to be concentrating and then said, "Kakashi-san, your wife has had contractions for the last two days, she is four cm dilated and will be having the twins soon."  
I stammer, "B-but she's not full term yet?"

The small slug shake's its head and says, "Kakashi-san, there is Inuzuka blood in these twins, they are more mature than 6 ½ months, yes they are still considered premature but the stress has induced labor. At this point the twins do have a greater chance of survival because of that small amount of Inuzuka blood."

I remembered Sakura telling me that Inuzuka pregnancies are different from normal pregnancies, their gestational period was significantly shorter than the rest of the Shinobi clans.

I had been born a month early but no one thought it was a big deal then.

I ask the slug, "What shall we do? I can't teleport her back to Konoha!"

The slug shakes its head again and says, "You will have to be careful on your way back home. I will stay with her and help stop the contractions but once she dilates completely there will be no stopping the babies from coming."

I thank the slug and I summon Pakkun.

He had blood all over his muzzle and when he see's Sakura he sighs and says, "Glad she is ok Boss. We are almost finished with the remaining Sound nins."  
I say, "Pakkun, I need you to tell Naruto and Sasuke that Sakura is in labor and we need to get back to Konoha. Have one of Naruto's summons inform Tsunade-sama that we are on our way. I will start heading back now and they can join me once they are finished. They need to bring back the prisoners and they are to leave no trace of the Sound nins afterwards."

He says agrees and then disappears in a puff of smoke.

I pick my wife up and hold her close to my chest so I wouldn't jostle her around with my movements.

I begin to run.

A few moments later I see a great fireball surge from the top of the trees, and I can feel the power of the Rasengan collide against something.

I can then feel their chakra signatures begin to follow me. They had three accompanying chakra signatures with them.

I continue to emit a sense of calm and peace into Sakura to help her relax and recuperate her chakra.

The slug whispers, "Kakashi-san please continue to emit that into Sakura. Her contractions have lessen in intensity and are no longer in regular intervals."

I kiss the top of my wife's hair and say, "Love… I'm taking you back home now. Our children will be born in Fire country."  
She snuggles closer and sighs as a small smile graces her beautiful face.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. I really wanted Kabuto to suffer even more but I felt the sense of urgency to kill him was greater. Having Kabuto see his lightning charred heart before he died was fitting. Kakashi is not one to prolong torture especially since he just wanted to get back to Sakura, so I didn't draw it out more than I needed it to.

I think my favorite part was when Sakura was describing the chakra of Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto. They are a big part of her life and their reunion needed to be special.

Kakashi giving back Sasuke his sword is a sign that Kakashi feels like Sasuke has earned his title and is accepting Sasuke's future role as his children's sensei.

Please review!


	56. Chapter 56

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 56

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Sakura has slept since we left the northern shores of Sound.

It's been 6 hours since, and I needed to wake her up to give her some food.

Sasuke and Naruto caught up to us and had set up camp so we could rest for the next couple of hours.

We needed to get out of Sound and back into Fire Country.

_There were too many opportunities for us to get ambushed here._

Sakura was still asleep and I was having trouble waking her up.

"Sakura…. Love…. wake up…. Love you need to eat."

She would stir a bit but then fall right back to sleep.

I looked at the slug that was attached to her neck and she said, "She has exhausted her chakra too much, she is weak and needs rest. I suggest you try to make her something that can be easily administered."

Naruto hears what the small slug said and he remembers some food pills that were in the ANBU packs.

He comes up to us and says, "Will this help?"

The small slug looks at the food pills and says, "It is not preferred but it will have to do. My master has approved of these food pills hasn't she?"  
I nod.

The slug then says, "Administer the pill, she should get the required energy to recuperate some more chakra."

Naruto hands me the pills and I give one to her.

I close her mouth and let the pill be crushed between her teeth.

Once I know that it was crushed I bring some water to her lips and slowly pour a small amount in.

Sakura groans but then continues to sleep.

I lay her down on my bedroll and then go towards the campfire.

Sasuke was cleaning his sword, finally getting a chance to wipe the blood from it.

Naruto was laying on his bedroll resting.

The three former members of Team Taka were just silently staring at the fire.

I sat next to Sasuke and asked, "How are they doing?"

He looks up from his work and says, "They have been just like that since we left. They don't talk and they don't give us any trouble, they just follow orders. Suigetsu and Jugo seem to act a bit more normal than Karin though."

I look at the redhead and she is staring at the fire like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Her eyes are vacant, not like the other two. Their eyes are dull but when stirred by emotions they can become focused. They have a look of defeat and shame in their eyes but Karin looks she is not there at all.

I tell them, "Rest, we are leaving in three hours."

Naruto offers to take watch and I go and lay down next to my wife.

Her breathing is a bit faster than it should be and there is a light sheen across her forehead.

I place my hands over her stomach and check on the babies.

_They are kicking and restless._

"Sakura?"

She stirs but her brow furrows in pain.

I ask the slug, "Is it a contraction?"

"Yes, she won't be long now."

"Is she dilating more?"

The slug says, "If we hurry you might still be able to reach Fire country before the contractions get closer together. My master should be able to meet us by then."

I yell at the group, "Sakura's contractions are getting closer. If we are going to get across the border we will have to move fast. Naruto, can you and your shadow clones take care of those three?"

"Hai."

"Sasuke we need to move now. Tsunade-sama should be on her way to meet us. Her summon said we could make it to the border before the contractions get closer."

We hadn't regained a lot of chakra ourselves so we pulled out the soldier pills and each took one.

Naruto grimaced at our expression, he has never had to take these disgusting pills, but everyone who has ever taken them has told him how horrible they taste and what it does to your body afterwards.

I picked up Sakura and Sasuke took our packs.

He said, "Sensei, I'll make sure to look out for enemies, you concentrate on getting Sakura back home."

I form a chakra connection with her body so she won't slip off while we are traveling. I try not to jostle her and I keep a low amount of calming chakra steadily flowing into her.

Sasuke ran ahead of me and would keep going from the front guard to the rearguard position as we flashed through enemy territory.

After about three hours of nonstop running, Sakura's breathing became ragged and she grimaced in pain every couple of minutes. We had another hour to get to the border if we kept this pace.

Sasuke came up behind me when I flared my chakra and said, "Sensei, how is she doing?"

"She will have the babies soon. We need to hurry, I don't think we will make it if we slow down."

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and said in a whisper, "Hurry love… I… will… hold… on"

We increased our speed and before we crossed the border the kids sent out a jolt of chakra.

Sasuke felt this and immediately scanned the surrounding area with the Sharingan.

I handed Sakura to him and said, "Make it across the border, ANBU teams should be waiting for you at the nearest outpost."

Sasuke was faster and right now, Sakura needed a safe place.  
_The kids sensed someone._

I noticed that they sent out that specific jolt of chakra whenever they felt strange presences.

I began the seals of one of the Mist village's techniques that I copied from Zabuza and blanketed the whole area with a thick fog.

* * *

Sasuke's POV

I held Sakura close to me and began to run at my fastest speed towards the border.

Behind me I could feel Kakashi-sensei's jutsu.

_I think it is the same one that Zabuza used on us as genin._

I looked down at Sakura's face and my Sharingan memorized every detail.

Even though she was in pain, she still looked beautiful. Her pink hair framed her face and she no longer had the bruises and cuts that Kabuto gave her.

_If I knew how, I would resurrect him just to kill him myself._

This woman who gave so much for me…. who had sacrificed so much and still managed to forgive me after all of the shit I did to her.

_I owe her in so many ways._

Her memory helped me survive all of those years… and even though she will never be mine… I owe her and Kakashi-sensei my life now.

I see that some tears have escaped her eyes and I brush them off with my thumb.

"Sakura…"

"It hurts…"  
"We are almost there."

I pump more chakra into my muscles and before we know it, we are in Fire Country.

I need to look for the ANBU outpost.

In my mind I can see the maps that sensei made me memorize and I recall the one of the border between Sound and Fire.

The outpost should be about two miles from here.

I continue to run but I feel some enemies on my back.

The shuriken that followed confirmed it for me.

I continued to run and then Sakura let out a painful groan and her eyes opened wide.

_Was she hit? Did a shuriken injure her?_  
I scanned her body for any injuries but then I felt a damp feeling along her legs.

Her eyes were full of shock and worry and she said, "My water broke… The babies are coming… Hurry!"

I continue to run and I felt a shuriken fly in our direction but I had no time to dodge it, it would have made me jerk Sakura too much, so I just let it hit my back.

I clenched my teeth but said nothing.

The outpost was within sight about 100 yards away and the ANBU team flashed before us. They saw the pink hair and immediately formed a barrier between us and our attackers. They continued to engage the enemy and the guards at the outpost let us in.

As soon as we entered I yelled, "Is there a medic nin?"

An ANBU agent came up to me with worried movements and I recognized him immediately.

_Kiba._

He said, "C-come with me."

I followed him to another room, there was a some bedrolls laid out on the floor.

_Sleeping quarters._

He took me to one of the bedrolls, _I imagined it was his,_ and then he took off his mask and said, "Sasuke, we don't have a medic here. I'll get the medical supplies that we do have."

Sakura grabbed both of our wrists and said, "The babies are coming… I need you here."

The small slug on her neck was glowing green and gave some orders of what to bring.

Kiba followed the slug's orders and came back within a few minutes with everything that the slug had requested.

Sakura was panting and she had beads of sweat on her forehead.

I asked the slug, "Where is Tsunade-sama?"

The small slug hung its head and said, "She is about two hours from here. She doesn't have your or Kakashi-san's speed. She couldn't use the transportation jutsu because she wouldn't have known were you would stop. She is just following Naruto's summons."

I summon one of my snakes and say to it, "You need to find Tsunade-sama and inform her that we are at ANBU outpost- #82. Tell her it's time."  
The snake disappeared and Sakura's painful gasp brought me back to the here and now.

She said, "W-where's Kakashi?"  
I told her that he stayed behind to fight some Sound nins and she only closed her eyes.

Kiba yelled at someone and when they came in, he ordered them to go and find Kakashi-sensei and take over so he could come back here.

They disappeared and Sakura's breathing became ragged and she held onto my hand. She looked at Kiba and begged, "Kiba-kun, I am going to need your help."

His eyes widened at what she was asking him to do and his mouth was open.

Sakura said, "You have helped deliver puppies, it's similar to that."

He was shaking his head and about to say something when the little slug said, "I will guide you. She is ready to push. Once the head clears make sure that the umbilical cord is not wrapped around their necks. Then the umbilical cord will have to be clamped and severed."

Kiba looked at me and said, "Sasuke give me a kunai, but use a small katon jutsu to sterilize it. Once you do that, dump it in that water to cool it down. Bring me those towels and get ready because here they come."

I do as he asks and Sakura is pushing.

The slug continues to instruct us in what to do all the while sending healing chakra into Sakura.

Kiba then says, "Come on Sakura, you are doing great… I can see the head."  
Sakura's grip on me tightened and I thanked Kami that she wasn't using any chakra.

She continued to push and then Kiba said, "Sakura stop, the head is out let me check."

He quickly made sure that the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the neck and then he said, "Sakura give me one more good push."  
I looked down and saw the baby's shoulders pass and then Kiba pulled the baby out.

The baby wasn't crying… _weren't they supposed to cry?_

I remembered some of the supplies that Shizune had given me at ANBU headquarters and I reach for my pack. I pull out a scroll and release it.

Inside lay a bunch of tools that Sakura and the slug recognized immediately.

The slug instructed me how to clamp and cut the umbilical cord while Kiba suctioned off the baby's air passages.

_I have never been so nervous in my entire life._

I cut the cord and the baby cried at that moment. I froze and I looked at the baby thinking that I cause the baby pain.

Kiba grinned and said, "Dude, I will never forget your face… The kid is fine… get me that blanket and begin to rub the babies back to keep him warm."  
_Him… a boy._

I reach out and Kiba hands me a small little baby boy.

I cover him with a blanket and I see and almost exact replica of my sensei in my arms.

He already had a patch of silver hair but I couldn't see his eyes, they were closed shut. He was crying but once I covered him and began to warm him up he settled down and I looked at him.

_I have never seen anything so innocent in my entire life._

My Sharingan kept memorizing everything, my body was full of adrenaline that I couldn't deactivate it if I wanted to.

I cleaned up his face and then brought him over to Sakura.

I removed the blanket that covered his face and as soon as she did she began crying, "He's so beautiful… Sasuke is he ok? Ten fingers, ten toes?"  
I undo the blanket a bit and scan him quickly, "Yes, Sakura… he looks perfectly healthy."

She places a kiss on his head and then grimaces in pain.

Kiba says, "Sakura I think the next one is coming."  
She looks at me, those deep emerald eyes look deep into the my crimson Sharingan and she says, "Take care of my son…"  
I nod and I quickly cover the baby and see how peacefully he sleeps in my arms.

I run one of my fingers on the side of his head and I see him snuggle deeper into the blanket.

I looked at the sleeping baby in my arms and said, "I will protect you and teach you, I will guide you and be there for you. I swear this to you with my life."

The baby's hand curled around my finger and a small jolt of chakra passed through him to me.

I was startled to feel such a powerful feeling from such a small touch of chakra.

_It was a feeling of acceptance._

I hear a commotion outside and I can hear Kakashi-sensei's voice yelling, "Where is my wife?!"  
The doors open and he comes in covered in blood and a bit out of breath.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I walk in to see Sakura laying on a bedroll with Kiba and the slug helping her deliver and Sasuke with a small bundle in his arms.

I look down at myself and take a kunai and tear away my jacket, shirt and gloves. I take off my mask and I reach for a nearby water bottle and dump it on my face and hands.

I don't want to taint my children with the blood of others right after they are born so I try to clean myself as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Sakura smiles at my action, she knows why… she knows my every thought and emotion regarding our children.

I kneel next to her and she holds my hand.

Kiba says, "Sakura you have to push with the next contraction, the baby is coming."  
I focus on what Kiba is doing and I can see the top of the baby's head as well.

"Love, I'm right here… hold my hand and push."  
She grips my hand and I thank Kami that she is not using chakra.

She groans out and clenches her eyes shut as she continues to push.

Kiba says, "The head is out, let me check."  
He runs a finger along the baby's neck begins to suction the baby's nose and mouth and then says, "Sakura push one more time."  
Sakura pushes once more and then I see my daughter come out with a strong cry.

They hand me a kunai after they had clamped the umbilical cord and tell me to cut it.

I look down at it and Sasuke says, "I sterilized it already."

I nod and quickly cut the cord.

Sasuke then hands me a blanket and Kiba places my daughter in my arms.

I lock my arms in a chakra hold to make sure I don't drop her and I wrap her in the blanket.

Sasuke says to clean her up and rub her back so she can stay warm.

I look at her and tear starts running down my face.

_She is absolutely beautiful._

I wiped off the blood from her face and say to her, "Hey princess… this is daddy. Calm down love… I am here."

I charge up some white chakra into the tip of my finger and run it along the side of her face.

She stills and calms down immediately. She then curls her finger around mine and gives me a strong little burst of chakra that felt like a pure simple version of love.

I smile at her and say, "That's my girl…"

My daughter has an unruly patch of silver hair but she opens her eyes and a set of grey eyes look into me and captivate me for a moment.

I hear my wife say, "Kashi… love… is she ok?"

Sakura is still panting but is reaching for her babygirl.

I take her to her and she see's her and gives her a kiss on the head and whispers, "She is perfect."

I kiss my wife and the slug says, "Sakura you must push the placentas."

The slug is instructing Kiba on what to do and Sakura says, "I think your son wants to meet you too."  
I look up at Sasuke and he walks over to where I was and hands me my son as he takes my daughter.

I see him look deeply into her and he whispers a promise to her as he continues to rub her back and rock her back and forth.

I see Sasuke smile as he feels her chakra and he sits next to me.

I look down and I see a smaller version of me.

He is calm and is already sleeping.

_The patch of silver hair on him is a bit more tame than mine I suppose, but it still sticks out to the left like mine._

His eyes were shut but I sent my son the same chakra that I sent my daughter and he responded by stretching out a bit, but when he touched my hand, as he was settling down. I felt the same strong feelings from the small touch.

I continue to look at my son and say, "I love you so much."

Sasuke was entranced by my daughter and he gently would rub her back and rock her back and forth.

She had stopped crying and had fallen asleep in his arms, much like my son did.

He looked at me and then at Sakura and said, "They are perfect…"

Sakura smiled in between contractions and then we saw the door fly open and Tsunade-sama rushed in the room.

She surveyed the situation, saw that the babies were covered and sleeping and then rushed to see Sakura.

She moved Kiba out-of-the-way and took over the healing.

As soon as her chakra entered Sakura I saw the look of relief in her face.

Sakura's body visibly relaxed and she sighed in content.

Tsunade-sama finished with her and then told Sakura to rest while she examined the kids.

Kiba brought more fresh towels and some water to finish cleaning the babies.

Tsunade examined my son and when her chakra entered his small body her eyes grew wide and I began to panic.

She said, "Don't worry Hatake, I am just amazed how well matured they are for being premature and having such a small amount of Inuzuka blood. Your son is perfectly fine. A good strong chakra system and a sharp mind."

She did the same thing with my daughter and said that she was perfect and had a stronger chakra reserve system than her brother.

Kiba laid out some more bedrolls out and helped Sakura move to a clean fresh one. He had laid another next to her and said we could rest in this room and no one would bother us.

He went up to Sasuke and looked at my daughter and kissed her head as he inhaled deeply.

He sighed and said, "Senpai, she smells just like fresh rain. She is absolutely beautiful. I will make sure that no stupid boy ever gets near her."

I chuckled at his words.

Kiba then came to me and looked at my son and laughed softly and said, "Senpai, he looks just like you."

I forgot that I had taken off my mask, but at this point I didn't care.

He kissed his head and inhaled deeply as well and said, "He smells like lightning."  
Kiba chuckled and then said, "No wonder Sakura smelled so strongly of rain and lightning."

I say, "Watch it Inuzuka, you smell my wife and I send you to patrol the borders of Suna and Fire for six months."

Kiba rubs the back of his head and says, "Oh come on Senpai… you are not going to let me live it down huh?"

I grin and say, "Thank you Kiba… I will never forget this."

He places his arm on my shoulder and says, "There is nothing to thank me for, we are family, and I would give my life for you guys."

I went to the bedroll next to Sakura and placed my son next to her.

Sasuke came up to me and handed me my daughter and said, "I will be there for them always. I'll stand guard by the door."

I nod and watch as he takes his post right outside, just like he said.

Tsunade-sama looks at me and my wife and says, "You will need to name them. We will stay here for three days but we need to move them back home as soon as we can."  
I saw the look behind her eyes and I asked her, "Hokage-sama what has happened in Konoha?"  
She smiles and says, "Your ANBU saved us. You have trained them well. I am proud of how they all worked well with the regular class shinobi and protected our village. They helped us hold Sound off until the other Allied Nations came to help and end it. Thanks to your training of the new recruits, we had enough squads to keep the casualties at a minimum. And we need to get back, Shizune is due to deliver any day now."

I nod at her.

Tsunade-sama looks at Sakura and says, "Make sure to nurse before you go to sleep."

Sakura agrees and Tsunade-sama leaves the room so we could rest.

Sakura says to me, "Kashi… what do you want to name them.

I run a finger down my son's cheek and say, "Hajime, it means 'beginning' and I want him to be the beginning of something new… "

She smiles and says, "It suits him."  
She then caresses our daughter's face and says, "What about her?"  
I think for a second and say, "Amaya, it means 'night rain'. She is the cleansing rain in our lives. "

Sakura smiles and she says, "I knew you would pick out the perfect names for them. I love them."

I smile down at my family and say, "And I love the three of you. Sakura thank you for giving me this blessing. I will treasure and protect all of you until my dying breath."

She snuggles in and Hajime begins to snuggle into her breast.

She laughs and says, "I think someone is hungry. Kashi can you help me up?"  
I help her sit up and then she undoes her blouse.

She says, "Kashi give me Hajime and place him like this."  
She shows me how she wants him placed and then I bring a pillow so she can place it on her lap to help Hajime have better access.

_Lucky._

She sees my expression and then she grins and says, "Kashi… stop that."  
I smile at her and shrug.

Sakura then tells me to place Amaya on her other breast just like Hajime.

I manage to get both babies to rest comfortably on her lap as she begins to feed them.

I am completely amazed by my wife.

I breath out, "Your strength amazes me."  
She knew that I wasn't talking about her physical strength.

I see her smile and she says, "No Kashi… I look to you for that. You are my strength, my rock, my everything."

I kiss her forehead and then she says, "Hajime is asleep, here let me show you how to burp him."

She picks up the now sleepy Amaya and shows me how to properly hold and burp a baby.

She grins at my awkwardness and says, "Kakashi, I know that they look fragile but babies are surprisingly sturdy. I know you can do this."  
She doesn't know that I lock my joints with chakra and adhere them to my arms so I wouldn't accidentally drop them.

I just smile and nod.

I tell her, "Love, you need your rest."  
She looks at me and says, "So do you and Sasuke. The both of you took soldier pills and they will catch up to you soon."

It was true, soldier pills kept your chakra up for hours but when you crashed, you literally 'crashed'.

I stuck my head out the door and told Sasuke to go find a place to rest and have someone else guard the door.

He nodded because he knew that if he refused he would fall asleep where he stood and there would be no one else to guard the door.

I came back in the room and placed a protection jutsu along the room and went to where my family was now sound asleep and layed down after I softly kissed each member of my family on the head.

_Mom, Dad... Haruno-san's... Please watch over my family. I promise to take them to see you as soon as we get back home._

* * *

A/N: The Twins are here!

I added Sasuke's POV in this chapter because it just fit better since Sakura was halfway passed out. That, and I wanted to do a trial run at his POV for the next story about the twins. What do you think? I liked how he reacted to the whole labor/birthing process.

I also made Kakashi and Sasuke's reactions very similar when they said, _"I thank Kami that she is not using chakra."_ because deep down they both shared very similar paths and they have always identified with each other.

I love Kiba so much in this chapter! He was a joy to write.


	57. Chapter 57

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 57

* * *

Sakura's POV

Tsunade-sama came in a couple of times to check on me and the kids. She was so happy that we were safe and the babies were healthy.

We talked a long time about the abduction and about how I felt.

She did an in-depth analysis of my chakra reserves and she was amazed that I could have kept a barrier that strong for a long time.

Kakashi stirred a couple of times during the night but I told my shishou to let him sleep by placing a jutsu on him.

She was happy to help with the babies and she helped me change them and get them close to me so I could feed them.

By morning time, she broke Kakashi's jutsu and when he woke up she left.

Kakashi raised and eyebrow as she was walking out the door and Tsunade-sama said, "You needed the sleep, now help Sakura take care of my babies. I have to check the damage that you caused out here and gather the other ANBU reports.

Kakashi rubs the back of his head and says, "Well… you know how things get in the heat of battle… I was distracted."  
My shishou grins and says, "Good work Hatake, I expect a full report when we get back."

We bow our head and then turn to the little bundles between us.

I pick up Hajime and Kakashi gets Amaya.

We both just sit there looking at them in complete awe.

I sigh and say, "Kashi… can you believe that we made them… these children represent the love that we share."

He continues to smile at Amaya and he says, "Love… they are incredible."

I hear some commotion outside and then a soft knock on the door.

We say, "Come in" and Sasuke walks in and then says, "Good morning… How are you?... How are the babies?"

I smile at him and say, "We are fine and the babies are sleeping."

Sasuke says, "Naruto wants to come in… He has been begging to come in since he got here last night. Kiba and I had to spar with him to get him to release some pent-up energy before this morning."

Sasuke continues to smile and I realize that his smile has changed.

It is soft and warm. It actually makes the hard lines of his face soften a bit and it makes him look more approachable.

Kakashi looks at me and then I smile giving him my unspoken permission.

He says, "Sasuke, tell Naruto that he can come in but he has to keep quiet, the kids just fell asleep and Sakura still needs to recuperate."

"Hn" Sasuke nods and then walks out to go and get Naruto.

A couple of moments later Naruto softly opens the door.

He whispers, "Sakura-chan? Kaka-sensei? May I come in?"  
Kakashi chuckles and says, "Yes Naruto come in… come in… I think the babies would like to meet their soon to be Hokage."  
Naruto comes in and rubs the back of his head, "Umm…. yeah."

He slowly approaches them and his eyes widen in surprise.

Naruto gasps and slowly approaches us and whispers, "They are so tiny…"  
I wave him over to my side and he takes a seat next to me.

I show him how to place his arms and then I give him Hajime.

"Naruto this is Hajime, our son."  
He looks at him and a single tear is running down his cheek.

"Sakura… Kaka-sensei…. He is a perfect little copy of you sensei."

He then rubs his finger along Hajime's cheek and he stirs.

Hajime opens his eyes just a bit and we see a bit of greenish grey color in his irises.

Naruto chuckles and then says, "Well almost a perfect copy. I think he will have Sakura-chan's eyes though."

He continues to look at our son and says, "Hey Hajime, I am your uncle Naruto and I will make sure that you are protected until you are able to protect yourself. I will help teach you what my senseis' taught me and make sure you follow the Will of Fire. Plus… I will take you to go and eat ramen after practice."

I roll my eyes at the thought of having my son love ramen as much as my knucklehead brother.

Naruto gasps and then says, "Sakura-chan, look he smiled… wow… what was that?"  
Hajime had just sent a bit of his chakra into Naruto and he was surprised by the chakra's strength.

Kakashi shrugs and says, "That's just who they are?"

Naruto said, "That felt… amazing… I have never felt chakra like that. It's like he knows who I am, and he is letting me know it."

I reach for Hajime and Kakashi gets close to Naruto and he says, "This is Amaya."

Naruto's eyes brim with more tears and he says, "Wow, Kaka-sensei… She is beautiful."  
Naruto reaches for her and Kakashi places her in his arms.

"Hey Amaya, I'm your uncle Naruto…. I will make sure that no loser ever tries to disrespect you in any way. No one will get to date you until they go through a long list of uncles. If any survive, then we might… might… let them talk to you."  
Kakashi scoffs and says under his breath, "Like that will ever happen."

Naruto chuckles and he runs his palm through the patch of silver hair on her head.

He looks at me and then says, "Sakura… I can feel a stronger chakra system in her. Like her reserves are a little over a quarter bigger than Hajime. She will be fearsome, just like you."  
I took it as a compliment and smiled at him.

He hands Amaya to Kakashi and says, "Kaka-sensei, Tsunade-sama is looking over Sasuke's old friends now. She was able to make some progress with the two guys, but the redhead doesn't want to respond. Maybe you can help by placing the containment seal like you did with the other two.

I flinch at the mention of Karin but don't say anything.

Kakashi's gives me the look and Naruto says, "Sakura-chan… did she do anything to you?"  
I lower my head and I say, "I know she was under the influence of the seal, but when she wasn't she would threaten to kill me if the baby wasn't Sasuke's. She hit me twice because she was blinded by her own jealousy. What hurts me was how easily she was willing to hand over an innocent baby to Kabu… _him_. She would have given over the child of her supposed love over to him to be experimented on. Kashi… she is sick. I don't know why anyone would put an innocent's life in danger just to get back at a supposed love rival."  
Kakashi's eyes darken and I hear Sasuke curse outside the door.

I look at both Kakashi and Naruto and say, "Please go to him… He doesn't need to feel like this is his fault."

Kakashi places the sleeping Amaya on the bedroll and gets up. He kisses my forehead and I say, "Kashi, don't let him go down that dark path because of her. Help him see what his destiny is."  
He says, "Don't worry love."

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I walk outside and I see Sasuke jumping to the nearest tree branch about to lauch himself to the next.

Naruto and I join him in a flash and Sasuke sighs and hangs his head.

He says, "How much did she hurt Sakura?"

I look at him and say, "Sasuke… Sakura is worried about you. She also worries about Karin's own mental state."

Naruto puts his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and says, "Teme, the redhead needs help. There is something off when I am around her."

He nods and then says, "I understand, but she hurt our family and I… need time. I know you forgave me for what I did and I will always be trying to repay you guys for it, but with her… I need time. I can't see her now."

_I understand what he is going through._

I felt the same way about him when he left us and Sakura and Naruto were so hurt.

It took a long time to find peace within my heart and then it took some more years to understand and forgive him.

Naruto of course would not keep his thoughts to himself and he said, "Well Sasuke, If Kaka-sensei here could forgive you after you basically killed him, there is hope that you might forgive her."  
I wanted to facepalm at his comment but Sasuke took it well and he grinned at Naruto and said, "And you will be in charge of the political world of Konoha… Kami help us."

They both laughed and Naruto said, "Hey guys let's spar!"  
Sasuke shook his head and said, "No… Kiba and I already sparred with you this morning. Why don't you finish your reports and turn them into Hokage-sama? Sensei, do you think it will be ok if I go see Sakura and the kids?"

I nod at him and I look at Naruto and say, "Come on Naruto, I saw some cup ramen somewhere around here. I need to get started on my report as well."

* * *

Sakura's POV

There was a soft knock on the door, "Sakura may I come in?"  
It was Sasuke, "Yeah come in."  
He slowly opens the doors and silently walks over to where me and the kids are laying down.

"Do you mind if I just sit here and watch the kids? Their presence calms me in a way I never thought a child would."

I nod and say, "Sasuke, I never thought you would have a way with kids. Can you feel it? Their chakra reacts well to you."

He smiles at me and he says, "May I carry them?"  
I smile and say, "Sasuke they will be your future students. They are your family. Do you have to ask?"

He picks up Hajime and smiles at him, "Hey little guy… You letting your mama sleep?"

I smile at this new facet of Sasuke's personality and he actually coos at Hajime before placing a kiss on his forehead.

I just stare at him and try to process the change that I see before me.

Sasuke realizes that I am still in the room and he looks bashfully at me.

_Wow… Sasuke and bashful in the same sentence… I have seen everything now._

I smile at him and he says, "Sakura…. I am sorry about what Karin did to you."  
_Ahh so he feels responsible for her…_

"Sasuke, you didn't force her to do anything. Don't feel responsible for her actions."  
"I could never return her affection when we were in a team, Now… I don't even want to look at her because of the danger she put you and the kids in. I just don't know if she would have been different if she hadn't felt like that for me… She hurt you because of her feelings towards me."

"Ummm… Sasuke…. Kabu… I mean _he_ told me about your time with Orochimaru. He said you used to have nightmares and… umm... well... you would call my name."

_It was now or never, we needed to clear this up between us so he could move forward._

I could see the swirling emotions in his eyes and he held Hajime closer to him.

"Sakura…. The moment I left Konoha… was the moment that I renounce your love. I was never worthy of it after what I did. I still wonder why you have deemed me worthy to be your friend, but that never meant that I stopped having feelings for you. I'll admit it, you were my light when I was surrounded by darkness and your annoying smile got me through some tough times. I hate that you were hurt because of my actions, I hate that I made you cry, that I missed out on hearing you laugh, seeing you grow into the powerful kunoichi that you are now. I hate that you will never see me more than a friend now, but… I have Kakashi-sensei to thank for protecting you when I couldn't, for healing you when I hurt you, for making you happy when I brought you pain. I… still don't understand why you have let me into your hearts and home again, but I will earn that trust you placed on me once more. I know that as long as you are happy, I will be too. Now these two little ones will be the ones that I atone my sins to. I will make them proud of having me as a sensei and I will train them to be the best shinobi that Konoha has ever seen."

That is the longest I have ever heard Sasuke talk and I was in tears by the time he was done.

I felt love for him, but as my friend, my brother, my teammate. My heart is complete with Kakashi and I am glad that we can move forward from this with nothing to hide from each other.

I reach out and grab Sasuke's hand and I say, "We, Kakashi, Naruto and I, would never leave a teammate behind. You know that Sasuke… Now look at your own teammates and see what you can do for them. If we were able to forgive you… you might just be able to forgive them. Sure it will take time but we will be here to back you up."  
He smiles at me and squeezes my hand before letting go.

Hajime continues to sleep and he smiles at Sasuke in his sleep.

Sasuke's eyes widen at my son's actions and he says, "Sakura… they really are perfect. Who knew that a simple smile could melt one's heart."

I smile at his words and I can see that Sasuke will have the foundation of becoming a great father when his time comes.

Amaya begins to stir and she slowly opens her grey eyes to look at me.

She has Kakashi's eyes, keen, observant, and calm.

Hajime wakes up just as Amaya does and he stretches out and yawns in Sasuke's arms.

His greenish grey eyes look directly at Sasuke and he says, "Sakura your children are very observant."  
I smile and say, "I know you should see the look they gave Kakashi this morning after they were fed."  
I chuckle and Sasuke smiles at me.

He places Hajime close to me and then gives Amaya a kiss on her head and says, "I must go do some stuff for Tsunade-sama… you… you should rest. We will be leaving tomorrow."

He opens the door to leave just as Kakashi is walking in.

Sasuke says, "See you later."

Kakashi chuckles and says, "I'm guessing the both of you talked?"  
I nod and say, "Yeah, we needed to to and I think he will be able to help his former teammates now. Ummm… How is she?"

He shakes his head and says, "I placed the same seal on her forehead like I did Suigetsu and Jugo but she still seems to be in a trance. I don't know, Tsunade-sama is working on her right now and we will see how she responds."

He walks up to us and sits down and pulls out a package with our meal for tonight.

We eat our food from the same package and once we are done we get the babies ready for bed.

I ask, "Kakashi… how will we move out tomorrow? I still can't use my chakra and we can't teleport back."

He kisses me and says, "I will carry you home, love. Don't worry… Sasuke and Naruto will each carry one of the kids and we will have three teams of ANBU guarding us on our way back. Kiba will be taking lead and no one will let anything happen to you or the kids."

I rest my head on his shoulder and I say, "Kashi… The kids need their story."  
I would never tell him but I enjoyed his childhood stories more than anything. He was completely unguarded and unbelievably honest when he shared his past. I learned more about him these past few months than I did in all the years of knowing him.

Today's story is about the first time that Kakashi's dad gave him a hair cut and the promise of never again to use a regular pair of scissor to cut his hair. Kakashi has used his kunai ever since.

* * *

A/N: We are headed back to Konoha! Naruto's inauguration is coming up and Shizune baby is due! Please review! Thank you for the new Favorites and Follows.


	58. Chapter 58

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 58

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Since Tsunade-sama had not placed a sleeping jutsu on me, I woke up and helped change the twins and then help Sakura position them for their feeding.

They kept to their own schedule but after a while I could predict their little quirks and how Hajime would act right before he was hungry, and how Amaya absolutely loved having someone rub her back as she fell asleep.

Sakura said that we needed to place them on a schedule to make it easier on us as they got older.

Babies liked predictability, _Hell I liked predictability._

By the time morning came I felt like even though we woke up every three hours to feed and change, I slept more comfortably than I had in years. I had my family in my arms and I knew that they were safe when they were with me.

I watched as my Sakura slept and how angelic Hajime and Amaya looked. Their small bodies craved touch and they had managed to grab each other's hands in their sleep.

_It was a sight to behold._

I silently got up and managed to pack all of our things.

I left the room so they could continue to sleep undisturbed and went to find my team.

Since we would have to stop every three hours we needed to travel a great distance in that window of time. Sasuke and I had regained almost all of our chakra and would be able to travel fast even while carrying Sakura and the kids.

Tsunade-sama made a swaddling contraption for Sasuke and Naruto to wear.

At first they asked if it belonged to Ibiki in Torture & Interrogation and she began to laugh and say that it was how they would be carrying the babies on our trip back.

Sasuke looked suspicious of the cloth and held it at arm's length.

Naruto on the other hand was trying, and failing, to put it over his head.

Tsunade had taught them how to place it around their bodies and how the baby would fit on their chest.

Sasuke sighed and said to me in a low voice, "I'll still adhere them with some chakra just to make sure."

I smiled at him and pat him on the shoulder as I walked to Naruto who was so excited of bringing back his niece and nephew to Konoha.

He said that he would make sure to give them the grand tour of the village as soon as we got back.

I chuckled at his words and said, "Naruto can I talk to you for a second?"  
He sat down next to me and said, "What's up Kaka-sensei?"  
"I got the report from ANBU and from Tsunade-sama about the toll that Sound took on Konoha. We will need to continue to rebuild our defenses and we might have to push back your inauguration a couple of weeks."  
"Don't worry about that Kaka-sensei, you take all the time that you need. Our village defenses come first. Plus we will be having our hands full with those two little ones once we get back."  
_I smile and think about my children… Who would have thought that I would live to see that day that I became a father._

He then adds, "And Shizune and Genma will be having their baby as well."

_I think about the son that my friend will have and then I begin to wonder if our son's will become best friends like we are…. Then I could just see Genma's son look at Amaya…. Oh no…. We will have to have a talk about this…_

"Kaka-sensei… what are you thinking about? Your chakra flared pretty strongly for a second there."

"I was just thinking about Genma's son and how Hajime and he could be friends you know."

"Yeah so what is the problem?"  
"Amaya…"

"Oh man… I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now… Hahaha…. Kaka-sensei you will have your hands full with that one if he takes after his dad! Hopefully he takes after his mom."  
Genma was a nice guy, loyal, and dependable, but he was a joker through and through. How Shizune managed to make an honest man out of him, I will never know.

He leaves me to go find some breakfast and I go back into the room to help Sakura with the childrens' morning routine.

* * *

Sakura's POV

After the kids are fed, and changed Kakashi helps me outside so we can join the group of ANBU that will be heading back to Konoha.

Kiba was taking lead and he had Akamaru at his side.

Kakashi asked Tsunade-sama to hold Amaya so he could summon his pack.

When he called out all of his ninken they all sniffed the air and bowed their head to their master.

Kakashi said to them, "The twins are finally here and we need to get back to Konoha safely. I will have you guys run a wide perimeter around our group. Kiba and Akamaru will be taking lead. Tsunade-sama, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and I will be in the center formation and there will be three ANBU teams covering our tracks and serving as extra patrols and decoys. We should be fine since we are in Fire country but we don't want to take any unnecessary risks."

The pack agrees and then Pakkun asks, "So can we see them?"  
I bring Hajime closer to them and they begin to sniff the air around him.

I say, "Guys meet Hajime." I uncover his blanket and they take in his sleeping face.

Bull says, "He smells like Lightning… much like you boss."

Tsunade-sama hands Amaya to Kakashi and he unwraps her blanket just a bit and says, "This is Amaya, my princess."

Pakkun laughs and says, "She smells like fresh rain, like Sakura for sure, but without the jasmine."

After they memorized their scents they took off to form a wide perimeter around our group.

Naruto comes up to me and he is already wearing the baby swaddling sling that Tsunade-sama made. I place my son within it and Naruto's steady arms hold him tight. He places a hand on my shoulder and says, "Sakura-chan I will protect your son and not drop him. I will even do like teme here, and adhere him to me with some chakra just in case baa-chan's little contraption doesn't work."

I smile and say, "I know, I trust you."

Kakashi hands Amaya to Sasuke and he quickly adheres her to him with some chakra and begins to rub her back just like she likes it so she could fall asleep. He says some words to Kakashi and then he smiles in my direction and slightly bows his head.

I smile back and Kakashi quickly picks me up and we set off on our way back home.

Our three day trip back home was pretty normal as trips go. I was surprised how calm the children were around our fellow shinobi and if they were getting restless Kakashi would infuse some calming chakra into them and they would settle back down. Thankfully there were no other problems other than Naruto waking Hajime as we approached the, newly rebuilt gates of Konoha.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

When we arrived at Konoha, Tsunade-sama asked us to take the children to the hospital so they could receive their first vaccinations.

I knew that they needed them but my unnatural fear of hospitals made me weary of taking them.

Sakura saw my hesitation and she gave me a knowing look and said, "Kashi… do you think that I would bring them here if they didn't need this. We come across plenty of things in our line of work and this way we can protect them from what we cannot see."

I nod and say, "I understand the importance… I just can't handle seeing them in pain."

"I know love, I will make sure that they are as comfortable as possible during and after. Do you want to wait outside?"  
I thought about it and I shook my head.

I needed to be there for them. If they were going to be shinobi, I needed to get used to the thought of them getting hurt.

Shinobi were accustomed to pain and we learned how to deal with some serious injuries on the field.

As we walked into the hospital nursery, I tightened my hold on Sakura and she placed a hand on my cheek and gave me a chaste kiss. She said, "Love, calm down." I set her down and she went to see the nurse to get the proper vaccinations that are needed.

She and the nurse came back in with a tray of vaccines.

When Naruto and Sasuke saw the prepared vaccinations for the kids, they visibly held the kids closer to them and their chakra spiked slightly.

_At least they had the same reactions that I do anytime I see a syringe._

Naruto reluctantly let go of Hajime and placed him on the table.

Sakura held him down and the nurse gave him his vaccines.

We all flinched when Hajime cried out in pain.

Sakura shook her head and chuckled and said, "You three have had multiple shuriken and kunai injuries, you have been stabbed multiple times and had almost every bone in your body broken at some point in your life, and you flinch when a baby gets a vaccine. Look he is fine now. See no more crying."

Sasuke still carried Amaya and took a step back when the nurse came to get her to place her on the table. Naruto had immediately picked up Hajime and was consoling him and promising insane amounts of ramen in the future for having to have gone through such a traumatizing experience.

Sasuke reluctantly let go of Amaya and placed her on the table.

Sakura held Amaya much like she did Hajime.

Amaya didn't cry out as much as Hajime did but Sasuke's Sharingan was watching everything that the nurse did. Once she was finished giving the vaccines, he picked Amaya up and went to my side so that we could protect her in case the nurse decided to stab her again.

Sakura just laughed at our reactions.

We were getting ready to leave when another nurse came in and told Sakura that Shizune had just come in with some light contractions.

Sakura was so excited and she made me carry her down to the maternity ward so she could see her.

Genma was a mess, he was pacing back and forth and Shizune just laid calmly on the bed.

She said, "I swear Genma, I just had a couple of contractions, I am not even fully dilated yet and it will still be some time before this kid gets here. Now stop it this instant or I'll have Tsunade-sama deal with you."

Sakura and I chuckled at their interactions and when they saw us, Shizune opened her arms wide and ordered me to bring Sakura to her.

I took her at once _(no one wants to deal with an angry pregnant woman who is in labor)_ and Sakura hugged Shizune. She asked how she was doing and how glad she was that she was back safe and sound in Konoha.

They both talked for a bit and then Genma asked, "So where are the kids?"  
I opened the door and Naruto and Sasuke came in with the twins.

Genma was so surprised by how tiny they were.

Shizune exclaimed, "Oh Sakura they are absolutely adorable, here let me see them."

I took Hajime from Naruto and said to both Genma and Shizune, "This is Hajime."

Genma said, "Kakashi he is the spitting image of you!"

I smile down at my son and then say, "Yeah but he has Sakura's green eyes."

Shizune cooed at the baby and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead.

I gave Hajime back to Naruto and Sasuke came and handed me my princess.

I said, "This princess is my beautiful Amaya."

Shizune was so happy that she hugged Sakura once more and said, "Oh she is beautiful, I am so glad that our children will be the same age!"

She kissed Amaya's tiny head and then Genma asked me, "May I?"

He held out his arms and copied how I held her.

He looked down at my daughter and said, "Kakashi…. I was so scared of having a daughter but…. wow… she is perfect."

I said to him, "Now I understand the whole 'Daddy's little girl' thing that the civilians always talk about."

He nodded and then he ran his finger along her cheek.

She sent him a jolt of chakra that he didn't expect and his arms locked around her and his eyes widened.

"Kakashi… did.. she just do that?"

I nod and say, "Hajime does that too."

He shakes his head and says, "That was powerful for someone so young."

Shizune asks Sakura, "What did Tsunade-sama say about that?"  
Sakura responded, "That's how they are and their chakra systems are fully matured. Because of the small amount of Inuzuka blood in them, their prematurity didn't cause them any harm."

Shizune looked at me and said, "Yeah I remember reading that you were born a month early but still very healthy and had no complications."

Tsunade-sama came in and then said, "Ok Shizune, enough socializing, you need to rest before those contractions get worse. Sakura you and the babies need to go home and rest. I will send someone to let you know once Shizune has her baby."

I pick up my wife and head for the door.

Naruto and Sasuke follow me and we head back home.

* * *

A/N: To my guest reviewer from yesterday, just to clarify: Yes Sakura did have the babies prematurely but because of their slight Inuzuka blood that wasn't a big deal. Their chakra pathways were already developed fully before they were even 6 months old in the womb. Most twin pregnancies deliver early due to space constrictions within the womb. A couple of chapters before, Sakura had told Kakashi that the Inuzuka's are the clan that has a different gestational period than normal shinobi families and that is because they are closer to their animal familiars and share some of their canine traits. Although Sakura is not blood related to them, Kakashi is. His kids, like himself were born prematurely.

* * *

In chapter 55 I wrote:

_The slug looked to be concentrating and then said, "Kakashi-san, your wife has had contractions for the last two days, she is four cm dilated and will be having the twins soon."_

_I stammer, "B-but she's not full term yet?"_

_The small slug shake's its head and says, "Kakashi-san, there is Inuzuka blood in these twins, they are more mature than 6 ½ months, yes they are still considered premature but the stress has induced labor. At this point the twins do have a greater chance of survival because of that small amount of Inuzuka blood."_

_I remembered Sakura telling me that Inuzuka pregnancies are different from normal pregnancies, their gestational period was significantly shorter than the rest of the Shinobi clans._

_I had been born a month early but no one thought it was a big deal then._

* * *

Shizune is two months ahead of Sakura and she is having her baby at a normal human gestational period.

Thank you for catching that and please let me know if there are any questions about the timeline. I know the whole abduction stressed me out in that part because I needed Sakura to give birth after her encounter with Kabuto, but she had been too early when she was abducted. I had a lot of time skips in that arc.

Please review! I'll start planning the Naruto's inauguration next chapter and have the rest of their friends come by and meet the babies! I just love the reactions of Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi to all the new things that they are experiencing with the babies. (Tsunade's swaddling carrier that they mistaken for Ibiki's torture device, to the vaccines), but especially the way that Kakashi is with his daughter. Sasuke seems to have a type of intuition with the kids because he knows how to calm them down and what they like and don't like (i.e. Amaya likes her back being rubbed in a certain way to calm her down). Naruto promising Ramen is something that he would say!


	59. Chapter 59

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 59

* * *

Kakashi's POV

The night that we got back home Yamato and Sai surprised us with a finished nursery in the room right next to ours.

We walked into the room and we were both actually left speechless with the amount of work that they put in.

Yamato chuckled and said, "Senpai, we worked on the room each night that you guys were gone" _What he really meant to say was that he knew that we would come back with Sakura and because he couldn't come with us, he felt that he needed to do this._

Yamato had created these beautifully crafted hand carved cribs that had the Will of Fire symbol within the border of my clan's symbols elegantly carved on the headboard. There were many intricate seals on each side of the bed and I recognized most of them. They told me that they were all protection seals and the one's that I didn't know were specialized Root transportation and protection seals that they would teach me how to use. Yamato and Sai had gone all out in that department. I saw some more protection seals placed along the door frame, window sill and along the wall's baseboards.

The cribs were placed close to the door and I recognized my sensei's thunder-god teleportation seals on the floor between both cribs.

_I would be able to always come to their room in an instant if I needed too._

Yamato and Sai saw that I was taking in all the details that they had incorporated in the room and I said, "Thank you… we couldn't have asked for a more perfect room for our children."

I bowed my head to them and Sakura hugged each of them and whispered her thanks.

Sakura asked about why they didn't place the cribs by the window.

Yamato and Sai refused to place the cribs by the window and absolutely didn't want to tell Sakura their reasons why. They placed a large sofa chair with a lamp and a bookshelf instead near the window and tried to play it off like it was a better spot or reading.

_I knew why Tenzou had a thing about placing any bed against window sills._

He had told me one time a long… long time ago that he often had nightmares of being really young and having someone take him from his bed.

He said that a lot of things were hidden or sealed away in his mind but ever so often somethings would escape and he would recover some memories.

I had always thought that, that specific nightmare was the memory of when he was kidnapped by Danzou and made to serve Root.

Sai didn't have any such memories of being kidnapped but he was adamant of keeping the kids cribs on the far side of the wall.

He had personally drawn a very calming landscape of Konoha on the nursery walls.

On that wall that the cribs were placed along, he captured the Hokage mountain.

I thought that it was fitting to have my children sleep under the watchful eye of our previous Hokages.

Sai told us that Ino had taken him shopping and they had bought most of the bedding for the cribs.

Sakura said, "You guys this room is beautiful! It is so peaceful… I absolutely love it."

We heard Naruto call us from the living room, "Hey you guys have some visitors!"

As we walk into the living room, Sasuke hit Naruto on the head and said, "Dobe, you will wake up the twins."

Sasuke had little Amaya resting on his chest and Naruto had Hajime in his arms, they were all sprawled out on the couch in the living room.

Sakura walked to the front door and we were soon surrounded by our friends who came to see us.

They brought food dishes and we had a mini get together.

Each had a chance to carry the twins and most had bought them gifts of clothing, diapers, or other various things that Sakura kept exclaiming were so cute.

Kurenai came and sat next to me and said, "So Kakashi… how does it feel to be a dad?"

I responded without hesitation, "It's the best feeling in the world."

She smiled and said, "Genma's baby will be here soon. Seems like our generation is finally able to settle down, all we need is to find Guy a girlfriend."  
I smirked in her direction and as if on cue, the Green Beast appeared in my living room carrying many various baby items.

He still somehow managed to strike his signature pose and recite something about the power of youth filling this house or something.

I chuckled at his antics and how he teared up when he saw the twins.

Ino and Sakura had sat in the corner of the room talking about her ordeal.

I still got angry every time I heard her speak of it and just wished that I could have made Kabuto pay for everything that he did to my wife and to everyone else he had experimented on. Looking back his death was too quick for him… but I had to keep reminding myself that I was not going to turn into a monster because of him.

Sakura felt my chakra spike and she looked at me and smiled but changed the subject with Ino quickly afterwards.

When the babies woke up and got hungry all of our friends bid us goodnight and left so we could tend to our twins.

_This was their first night at home._

After we fed them, Sakura showed me how to sponge bathe them. I carried both in my arms and I told Sakura that I would be taking a walk along the clan grounds to show them around their new home.

She nodded and said that she would take a shower and be waiting for me in the nursery so we could put them to sleep afterwards.

I took both of my children around the house and began telling them stories of when I was younger running around in these very same hallways.

With the dexterity that only a ninja could master, I opened the door and went outside to the porch and then to the garden.

Hajime's eyes were now open and he looked straight into me as we walked along the moonlit night.

Amaya was resting comfortably in my arms with her tiny arms grasping the blanket that covered her.

I explained to them that this garden belonged to their grandmother and this would be their main play area with my pack of ninken.

Hajime's chakra surged a little and I looked down and smiled at him.

He seemed to be content to be outside.

_He sure is a Hatake..._

Amaya snuggled closer to me but her grey eyes were suddenly alert when Hajime surged his chakra once more.

We had gotten to the stone fan statue and Sasuke was sitting there meditating.

They were attuned to specific chakra signatures and they both reacted well when around Sasuke.

He opened his eyes when he heard us approach him and then smiled when he saw me carrying the twins.

"Hey Sasuke… I was just giving the twins a tour of their home."

He got up and walked up to me and asked to carry Amaya.

I nodded and he expertly took her and brought her to the statue and said to her, "You know Amaya, your grandmother taught my mother the skills of being a great kunoichi. I imagine that they were both very formidable shinobi and I hope that one day I can help you achieve your goals as a fighter yourself."

He smiled at her and I actually saw a warmth that I hadn't seen in a long time.

He was happy about talking about his mother now… there was still some sadness there, but there was also acceptance and no anger. He really was making progress.

We both walked back into the house and went to the nursery.

Sakura was sitting on the sofa chair next to the window.

She took Amaya from Sasuke and he bid us goodnight.

* * *

Sakura's POV

I was amazed at all the work that Yamato and Sai did in this room.

The protections seals in the cribs were unmistakable and I thanked them for thinking so far ahead.

As I had sat there waiting for Kakashi to come back with the kids from his 'tour of the house' I noticed all the protection seals that were placed along the room.

I have to say that this room is probably just as protected as the Hokage Tower itself.

Sai had told me that the animal drawings on the walls would activate and protect the kids if anyone broke the protections seals on purpose.

_I felt a sense of security in this house that brought peace to my heart._

This was the greatest gift that they could have given me after having to deal with the pain of the abduction.

I was glad that _he_ was dead and I promised myself never to ask Kakashi what happened. I knew that my husband would end _him_ and leave no trace behind.

When we finally put the twins to sleep, Kakashi did some seals and then flooded the room with an aura of peace and tranquility.

The seals activated and we closed the room to the nursery.

He said that we would know the instant that anything changed in the room.

I smiled at him and he picked me up as we made our way to our bedroom.

He closed our door and gently laid me on our bed.

"I'll take a quick shower and be back in a bit."

He purposely took his shirt off in front of me and threw it in my direction before heading into the bathroom.

I chuckled at the boyish grin he gave me just before shutting the door.

I heard the shower turn on and I laid back down still holding his shirt to my chest.

I could smell his scent… I didn't have his sense of smell, but I could distinctly tell his specific sent and the type of soap he used. It was comforting and it made me forget about everything. Before I knew it I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and bring me close to a strong, steady chest.  
Kakashi inhaled my scent right at the crook of my neck and said, "You still smell delicious and I can only smell your scent… it is no longer masked by the kids scent. I…. love… it"

Shivers ran down my spine and I could feel his grin as he kissed my neck.

I snuggled closer to him and relaxed into his embrace.

_I am home in his arms._

_I feel completely safe and protected within his hold._

I whispered, "I love you Kashi."

He purred into my ear, "And I love you, Sakura."

Kakashi knew how tired I was and he let silence envelop us and all I could feel was his steady heartbeat which was the sweetest form of lullaby. I fell into a deep sleep and only woke up when it was time to feel the twins in the middle of the night.

The following morning during breakfast, a messenger arrived letting us know that Shizune had her baby early this morning at 1 am.

Sasuke looked at me and said, "I'll watch the kids, go on ahead to see them. Yamato and Sai will be here with me and we will get you if we can't handle it."  
I smiled. Sasuke really had helped me out a lot during the trip back to Konoha and knew exactly how to change, feed and burp the babies. He had watched me with his Sharingan activated so I knew that he would do exactly as I had did.

I had already been saving some breastmilk in some bottles in case I needed to run out quickly. Since I had just fed them myself, I had a good two-hour window to go and see Shizune and come back before they got hungry again.

Kakashi accompanied me to the hospital and when we got to the nursery. Genma was holding his son after they had given him his set of vaccines.

The look on Genma's face mirrored my husbands when the twins go their shots.

_It was priceless._

We went to Shizune's room and Genma came in moments after with the still crying baby.

Shizune was happy to see us and I hugged her. She whispered, "These men, they get all worked up over a simple injection…. I imagine Kakashi was the same when the twins got their shots."  
I chuckled and said, "Yeah pretty much, you should have seen Naruto and Sasuke… It was as if the world was coming to an end."

We both laughed and Genma brought the baby back to Shizune.

He cradled his son and kept telling him how he would not let the 'mean nurse' stab him again.

Shizune smiled at her husband and said, "Come over and let Tadashi meet her Aunty Sakura."  
I looked down at him and he was beautiful.

A full 7 ½ pound baby boy with a small dimple on his left cheek and a mop of brown spiky hair and dark black eyes.

I held him in my arms and Kakashi came to my side to meet little Tadashi.

He smiled down at the baby and said, "Genma… I'm happy for you and Shizune. He really is wonderful."

I cooed at the baby and said, "Hi little one, I'm your aunty Sakura and you'll be seeing a lot of me. Hajime and Amaya will be there with you too, so don't worry you will be the best of friends."

I looked up at Genma and Shizune and said, "He is so precious, I love his name too."  
Shizune smiled and said, "It means loyal…" She looked at Genma and they shared a very private intimate smile between each other.

We stayed there talking for a bit but I then told Shizune that we needed to go home, it was almost feeding time for the twins.

We left our friends and Kakashi and I walked back to our home hand in hand.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

I was back in my office after having three days off after we got back to Konoha.

Tsunade-sama said that I would be needing to return back to work to start redoing the security plans for the inauguration and I needed to make sure that my ANBU teams were taking as many missions as we could to try to make up for lost revenue after the attacks.

I had to coordinate the schedules of my ANBU with the regular shinobi to make sure that we had enough shinobi on hand in case of any threat to Konoha once more.

Tsunade-sama had been assigning many missions to them and many of the genin teams were taking 2-3 small missions around the village per day, just to help rebuilding the attacked portions of Konoha.

I told her that I would do everything in my power to make sure that we made up for the lost missions if she would allow me to have the majority of ANBU back in Konoha for the inauguration.

I had spoken with Naruto and we both thought that showing a good strong presence would relieve some fears from the foreign dignitaries and Kage's that would be attending.

The Allied alliance is stronger than ever, and by having the Kage's come to Naruto's inauguration it showed the rest of the shinobi villages that we were united as one.

Naruto had earned the respect of many people around the shinobi world and that had made him into a bigger target in the Bingo Books

I had received a message from Gaara-sama that he was going to be here in about two weeks.

He said that he was bringing three teams of his personal ANBU guard to help with anything that we might need.

There had been some rebuilding after the attack from Sound and Konoha now had three undisclosed secure buildings in strategic places that would house the visitors from the other countries. The buildings were kept secret to avoid possible direct attacks. This way all the powerful leaders wouldn't be trapped in one building if it were ever to be targeted.

Shikamaru had planned out the location and design of the buildings himself.

_If he wasn't a shinobi I would have never guessed that he had an eye for good architecture._

Overall the plans for the inauguration were going smoothly and I was left with a mountain of paperwork that only I could sign.

Genma had kept things in order for me while I was gone and he had even had Shizune look over the psychiatric evaluations on some ANBU agents that I had been worried about having severe PTSD before I left.

He left those files for me with a note on their progress and how their therapy was going. I was glad to hear that most of those guys were actively seeking help for their problems instead of me forcing them to go to therapy. Many of the ANBU had vocalized their appreciation for their mental well being or had simply written a note saying that they had started counseling and they were glad that we had given them open access to that kind of care.

I know that Sakura had spent some time making a curriculum course that solely focused on mental health.

The small office that is next to our room has plenty of medical scrolls and different treatment options that one could take in regards to therapy.

I was glad that we could implement many of these things now and future medic nins would have the resources on how to deal with this.

I heard a small knock on the door and Sasuke entered wearing his long-sleeved ANBU gear. He put his unpainted mask to the side and waited for me put down my pen.

"Hey Sasuke, how can I help you?"

"Sensei, I just got summoned to the Hokage's office, she is also requesting your presence there."  
I nod and we both teleport into her office.

"Ah Hatake glad you were able to come so quickly. I have something to give to you Sasuke, come here."  
He walked over to her and he bowed to her in greeting.

She handed him a scroll and waited for him to open it up.

He scanned the scroll quickly and then re-read it again.

He looked up at me and then at Tsunade-sama and said, "You mean that you are promoting me to jounin?"  
She nodded and said, "Congratulations… you earned it."

He smiled at me and then he bowed to Tsunade-sama and then to me as well.

I smirked under my mask and felt an unbelievable amount of pride in how far he had come.

He stood up straight and then tore his shirt sleeve and knelt in front of me.

As commander of the ANBU I placed the red ANBU mark on his deltoid and told him to stand up.

I looked at Sasuke and said, "You are now my brother, we are part of something that few can ever dream to achieve and our strength comes from the bonds that we share as comrades and to our village. Sasuke, I am no longer your sensei, as your commanding officer we will stand together in battle to protect Konohagakure."

He bows and says, "Hai, Kakashi-sama."  
Tsunade-sama reaches into her desk and pulls out a painted ANBU mask and hands it over to Sasuke. She says, "Wear the symbols of your village with pride. You are full ANBU now and can proudly show your mark while in battle."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sasuke place the painted mask on his face and he bowed once more to his commanding officers.

I smiled to myself and Tsunade-sama looked at me and said, "Good work Hatake."

I shook my head and said, "No, Hokage-sama the work was all him. He did it and he earned this."

We both bowed to Tsunade-sama and then headed back to ANBU headquarters.

Once we got to my office, I gave Sasuke his first mission scroll and said, "Good luck and be safe."

He bowed said, "Hai, Kakashi-sama." and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Now back to the mountain of paper work.

_This is going to be a long day…._

* * *

A/N: sorry I updated so late, had a ton of homework to do tonight.

I am getting close to the end of this story and to tell you the truth I am sad because I have gotten attached to my characters. I will continue to brainstorm ideas for the sequel and hopefully get an outline going for that fic.

Please review!


	60. Chapter 60

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 60

* * *

Sakura's POV

"Sakura-chan! Have you seen the darn hat?!"

Naruto was looking everywhere in his soon to be office and I just chuckled at his antics.

Here he was in full ceremonial garb, about to take his place as the Hokage of Konohagakure and he was crawling around on the floor looking for the Hokage hat that my husband held in his hands.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"Naruto…"

"Wait Kaka-sensei… I'm looking for the damn hat"  
"Naruto…" My husband patiently waited for our future Hokage to look up and see that the hat was safe in the hands of my husband.

Naruto sighed and said, "Thought I lost it!"  
Kakashi shook his head once more and said, "You know that the senior jounin is the one that places that hat on your head after the official jonin vote."

All of the jonin in the village had already done the preliminary vote to approve his candidacy and today's vote would be in front of the village and thus make it official.

Naruto grinned and said, "Yeah… I forgot… Guess I'm just a little nervous."  
I walked up to my knuckleheaded brother and bopped him on the head and said to him, "Naruto this is your dream come true. You have worked hard for this day and have earned the respect of many people around the shinobi world through your dedication and loyalty to your friends. When you walk out that balcony and swear in front of your comrades to uphold the Will of Fire, be proud and remember that we will follow you from now on, not because you are just our Hokage, but because we love you and know that you love us as well. Now stop worrying, everything will be ok, you'll see."

I kissed him on the cheek and smiled at the way that he blushed.

"Thanks Sakura-chan… you always know what to say."

I give him a hug and whisper to him, "Naruto, I love you and I am so proud of you. My kids will grow and learn under one of the best Hokage's that Konoha has ever seen."

He lets me go and I bow to him and say, "Hokage-sama."

There was a flare of charka right outside the door and Naruto said come in.

An ANBU agent with a phoenix painted mask came in and bowed to Naruto and my husband and said, "Naruto-sama, Kakashi-sama, everyone is ready and the perimeter is secure."

Naruto walked up to him and said, "Sasuke you know that in here, when it's just us, you don't need to hide who you are."

Sasuke removed his mask and looked at us.

_The original Team 7._

We had somehow managed to make it back to where we started and it was simply just us in that office.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke and then Sasuke closed the distance and hugged him.

He said just above a whisper, "Thank you for not leaving me behind or forgetting about me. I could never repay my team for what you have done for me, but I can start by swearing to follow my Hokage anywhere and fulfilling every mission request to the best of my abilities. Naruto I am proud to call you brother. You have earned this, be proud and for Kami's sake don't screw up your speech by ending it with 'Believe it!', ok?"

Naruto laughed at him and pat him on the back.

He suddenly pulled me close and I was being hugged by Naruto and Sasuke.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

Shizune and Genma would arrive with Tsunade-sama in just a bit but for now we were able to have a few minutes alone as Team Kakashi for the last time.

Shizune and Sakura had left the kids with Ino's parents since we would all have to participate in the jonin vote and Genma and I had specific responsibilities to our new Hokage during the ceremony.

I stood there watching my former team and thought of how they had become great leaders and I knew that they would be the ones to lead our village into a brighter future.

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were all hugging each other when Naruto looked up and said, "Kaka-sensei, get over here!"

I felt my wife grab my arm by my ANBU arm bracers and I was forced into the hug as well.

I chuckled and then we heard Tsunade-sama come in and say, "Glad that you guys were able to have your moment, now let's hurry up, my retirement awaits and I have grandbabies to go and spoil!"

Genma and Shizune came in and saw our little group and smiled at us.

Naruto was already shedding some tears, Sasuke had a smirk on his face and my wife was nothing but smiles.

I let go of them and gave Genma the Hokage Hat.

He was representing the senior jonins and would be the one to place the Hokage hat on Naruto.

Naruto had wanted me to do it but I told him that as his advisor and Head of ANBU it would not be right. I had to lead and represent my division and swear on their behalf that we would pledge our lives to him and Konoha. He was upset at first but I told him that it was necessary. Sakura was representing the hospital and the medic nins and as head of the Konoha Medical Branch she would also be speaking to the village.

As Sasuke turned to leave Naruto said, "Hey Sasuke, where are you going? I still haven't gotten my official ANBU guard from Kaka-sensei… would you mind staying here and watching my back?"

Sasuke placed his mask on and bowed and said, "Always… Hokage-sama."

We took our positions along the balcony and stepped out into the public view.

Genma wore his jonin uniform and carried the Hokage's ceremonial hat.

I wore my ANBU uniform but I had my mask to the side of my head.

Sakura wore her medic uniform.

We all looked out to the people who had gathered.

The jonin of the village had gathered to the right and center of crowd, followed by the rest of the chunin and genin of the village.

On the left side, the dignitaries and Kage's from the other villages stood surrounded by their various protection details. My ANBU agent were scattered throughout the rooftops and along the sides of the walls.

I wanted them present so that when the jonin would vote they would be able to be there and voice their allegiance to our new Hokage.

Tsunade-sama stepped out into the balcony to address her village for the last time.

The crowd cheered when they saw her and she raised her arms to quiet everyone down.

"Good afternoon and welcome everyone. I, Senju Tsunade, am honored to have been able to serve my village and lead it through many years. Many things happened during those years and I can say that I was amazed on how our village persevered through all its trials. That is the testament to the shinobi of this village and their strength to maintain the Will of Fire strong within its ranks. I am pleased to announce that I will be retiring from this honored position to be able to continue to teach at our Medical School and watch as my family grows. I have no doubt that I will sometimes miss this job but I leave you in very capable hands. The man that will lead you from now on is close to my heart and has demonstrated time and time again not only his skills but his unending love for our village. He, like the late Yondaime Hokage, share not just a bloodline but a sense of loyalty and dedication to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I know deep in my heart that Uzumaki Naruto will lead Konohagakure in the right path and not deviate from the teachings of the Will of Fire."

There were cheers from down below.

Tsunade-sama held her hands once more and said, "It is my honor to present to you the Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto took his place at the center of the balcony and the crowd cheered to an almost deafening level.

Naruto humbly looked down at everyone gathered and smiled when he saw how happy many of his friends were down below.

Gaara-sama gave him a full on smile as he clapped along with the follow Kage's.

Naruto raised his hands and the crowd quickly quieted down and they all took their seats.

Genma went to the podium and said, "I, Shiranui Genma, am here as the Senior Jounin representative and would like to take the official Jounin vote. Will all shinobi of Konohagakure that have a rank of Jounin please stand up and approach the front."

The jonin below stood and got closer to the front of the Hokage Tower right below the balcony.

I gave the signal and all of my ANBU gathered behind them so they could also take part in the vote.

They had their hoods on but all of them took their masks off and looked up at their new Hokage. No one could tell who they were due to their hoods from the back or the sides. Naruto was the only one that could see each of their faces as they looked up at him from below.

Naruto wasn't the only one that noticed such a rare action among ANBU. He looked at me and I gave him a slight shrug.

Genma spoke, "Fellow jonin do you approve of Uzumaki Naruto to ascend to the position as Hokage of Konohagakure?"

There was a unanimous "Hai"

Genma continued, "Is there anyone that opposes or has reason to challenge Uzumaki Naruto?"

Silence.

"As representative of the jonin, I ask that the shinobi of the Leaf stand and pledge our allegiance to our new Hokage."

We all said as we bowed our heads towards Naruto, "We swear to uphold the name of our village, fight alongside our comrades and protect the Will of Fire and the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

I approached the podium and everyone except the ANBU took their seats. They covered their faces once more and lowered their hoods off of their face.

I spoke to the crowd, "I, Hatake Kakashi, am here as commander of ANBU of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It has been my honor to have been the sensei of Uzumaki Naruto. He has grown into the respected leader and skilled shinobi that his parents, the Yondaime Hokage and Kushina-sama, would have wanted to have. I know that they would have been extremely proud of their son. Naruto-sama, the men and women that you see before you have all pledged their lives to Konoha, we place our trust in you and will continue to serve you in any capacity that you see fit.

I bowed to our new Hokage and all of ANBU followed my lead. There was no need for them to swear their lives again, the ANBU mark on their arm represented the extent of their commitment to our village. When I looked up at Naruto, I saw the image of my sensei flash before my eyes and then I saw the smiling face of Kushina-sama as she seemed to touch Naruto's hair for a split second. My ANBU squads immediately dispersed back into their former guard positions and continued their duties as guardians of the Leaf.

Sakura approached the podium next and said, "I, Hatake Sakura, am here as representative of the Medical Corps of Shinobi and as Head of the Konoha Medical Branch we would like to pledge our allegiance to our new Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. We will fulfill our duty to our fellow shinobi on and off the field. As medic nins of Konoha we will strive to maintain the reputation that you have created for us and will continue to seek new ways to help our fellow comrades. May the Medic Nins of Konoha please stand and swear allegiance to our new Hokage."

Sakura and the medic nins stood and they bowed to the Hokage and said, "We swear to uphold the name of our village, fight alongside our fellow comrades when needed but above all, seek to heal the needy and bring hope in the face of danger."

The cheers erupted once more and only got louder as Naruto approached the podium.

He cleared his throat and said, "Hey everyone… I guess all the years of me claiming to become Hokage have finally come to a close. I made it… but I didn't do it alone. At first I thought that I could fix everything if I was Hokage and just order people to be nice to each other and get along. I learned that there is no one that could do that. Changes come in small everyday actions and I noticed that the respect and acknowledgement that I craved as a child wasn't won through sheer skill or force, it was nurtured and cultivated slowly and throughout the years. The bonds that I made with my fellow comrades is something that I hold dear to me and it is the most precious thing that I hold in my heart. The years of work and dedication as a shinobi fail to compare to the intense feeling of satisfaction that one can get by having some true friends you can count on. I swear to you that I will be the Fire Shadow that protects the future generations of Konohagakure and I will continue to live by the Will of Fire until my dying breath."

He looked back at Sasuke and whispered, "Believe it!"

The crowd cheered for a long time and they were only silenced when Genma placed the Hokage hat on Naruto's head and proclaimed, "Rokudaime Hokage!"

The party that followed lasted well into the early hours of the night.

Thankfully Sakura was able to diplomatically decline on my behalf a drinking challenge that Killer B had proposed. Tsunade-sama gladly took my place and Sakura and I were able to make our escape without anyone else noticing.

The noises and the smells from the party had given me a headache and Sakura noticed immediately. She took me to the side and quickly sent some healing chakra into my temples and said, "Kashi, let's go get our kids and go home…"

I kissed her lips and said, "There's no where else I would want to be."

We got Hajime and Amaya and went home with our children in our arms.

As we were walking down the street the kids sent a jolt of chakra to us and a figure appeared and I immediately tensed.

I pulled out a kunai and my ANBU guard was already next to me.

The figure got closer and I smelled the air and said, "Karin…"

Sakura tensed and held Amaya a bit closer to her chest.

I gave a quick signal and my ANBU team quickly surrounded her and held her in place.

We approached after they told me that she was unarmed.

She looked disheveled and a bit flustered by the ANBUs hold on her, but she didn't protest.

Her eyes were glued to my children.

I held Hajime tighter and said, "What do you want?"  
She looked up at me and then she glanced at Sakura and began to cry.

We stood there for a minute and before long, a familiar chakra signature flared behind me and the kids reacted to it as well.

Sasuke walked up to us and stood next to Sakura.

He took off his ANBU mask and Karin broke down.

She whispered in between sobs, "I'm sorry…"

We stared at her and she said, "I was wrong and I caused you pain… I am sorry."

Sakura still said nothing but her hold on my hand relaxed a bit.

Karin's red eyes looked at us and then at Sasuke and she said to him, "I know that I never deserved you and… well… your heart was never mine to begin with… but I thought."

Sasuke said, "Thought what, Karin? That I would fall in love with you after you endangered an innocent, a baby!"

She hung her head and nodded.

Karin quietly said, "I'm sorry… I betrayed you… But I see how much you still love her and yet you still follow them around. Sasuke how could you not see that I could love you more than she ever could."  
"Karin you don't get it do you. Sakura and I love each other but not in the way that you think. Her love is the same love she shares for Naruto, Sai, Kiba, and Yamato. She is my friend, my sister. I betrayed the only family that I had left once, and when I lost the only blood relative that I had, I realized that it is not the blood that makes a family but the bonds that we hold to each other. I could never betray any of them again. Karin you are sick and you need some help."  
She cried and said, "But Sasuke why can't you love me?!"

He walked up to her and said, "Karin I care about you. I treated you badly and led you on when we were with that snake and then when we were a team and I am sorry for that. I hurt you probably as much as I hurt them. I have many sins to atone for and I am not going to leave you behind. I will help you find the help you need but we can't have the relationship that you want. You need to get better first and for starters you need to stop fighting Kakashi's seal. He is not Kabuto nor Orochimaru. That seal that he placed on you is to try to break the one placed by Kabuto. Suigetsu and Jugo have improved and their seal is weaker and weaker by the day. I know that you can fight to break it as well."

She continued to cry and was becoming unconsolable.

Sasuke grabbed her face and made her look into his Sharingan.

She immedialtly fell asleep and he picked her up and turned to us and said, "Sakura, Kakashi, I am sorry… I will take her to the hospital and see what they can do to help her. She looks like she hasn't eaten in days."

Sakura handed me Amaya and slowly approached her and Sasuke.

"Is she unconscious?"

He nodded.

She sent some healing chakra into her system and gasped when she found something.

Sasuke looked at Sakura and said, "What's wrong?"

"Sasuke, the seal that he placed on her has caused her some severe mental damage. It's as if he rearranged her memories and inserted new ones that are consuming her from the inside. Your other two teammates didn't show any damage due to the seal, but her mind was completely ravaged and her own system is desperately trying to salvage what real memories that it can. We need a Yamanaka to help with her treatment. I will make sure that me and Ino begin treating her first thing in the morning. Will she continue to be unconscious until then?"

"I think so… why?"  
Sakura said, "As long as she is unconscious her mind will try to continue to heal itself some, it's when she tries to sort out what is real and what isn't that it puts too much stress on her mind."

He nodded.

"Sasuke, take her to the 4th floor and tell the nurse in charge that she is being admitted under me and I will be in to see her in the morning. Tell her that the standard mental health protocol is to be used until I see her myself."

He looks down at the sleeping Karin in his arms and I say, "Sasuke, she is your teammate as well. Don't forget that and we will help you get through it."

He looked at me and then said, "Thank you... "

He looked at Sakura and said, "the both of you."

He took off towards the hospital and Sakura and I continue our way back home. My ANBU guard resumed their post once more in the shadows and then took their posts along the perimeter of my home.

The kids were safely in their cribs and I picked up my exhausted wife and said, "Let's go to sleep Love, you look like you are worn out."

She smiled as she cuddled into my chest and sighed in content as she lazily ran her fingers through my hair.

* * *

A/N: So I didn't really know how to end Karin's story because she is complicated in this fic. A reviewer told me a couple of chapters back that this story was about redemption and they were curious about how Karin would redeem herself. Kabuto was really a sick bastard and he really did a number on her. I need to give her closure so she can move on and hopefully Sasuke can find forgiveness for how he played her as well. BTW Sasuke will NOT end up with Karin in this fic. Nope, Nope, Nope!

I will probably do a couple of time skips in the next chapter to see how the babies are doing and how things are progressing with the rest of the characters!


	61. Chapter 61

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 61

* * *

Kakashi's POV

(several months later)

"Ummm Sakura! How old are babies when they start to walk?"  
She calls out from the kitchen, "I think around a year or so… Why?"  
I was slowly walking out to the porch, afraid of startling the twins if I made any noise.

Yamato saw me and had begun to approach from the other side.

Sakura walked out and said, "Kashi-"  
"Sshhh…"

I motioned for her to be quiet and we approached our 7 month old twins that were walking on the edge of the porch.

She opened her mouth but kept quiet as I slowly approached them and Yamato crawled on the side of the porch to catch them if they fell off the railing.

Hajime turned around and smiled. His big green eyes shone brightly and were full of wonder at his newest accomplishment.

Amaya on the other hand, was giggling and swaying very close to the edge. I knew Yamato was right there to catch her if she fell.

I got close and she turned around and said, "papa."

That froze me for a second and she giggled and then lost her footing.

Yamato caught her and she started giggling again and patting at his forehead protector and saying, "Ya, Ya, Yam"

Yamato's eyes widened and when he saw my daughter's smiling face he just chuckled and said, "Yes, Amaya, I am Yamato."

She patted his face again and gave him a small jolt of chakra.

She was happy and very proud of what she had just done.

Hajime looked at Sakura and said, "Mama." as he walked over to where she stood shocked.

We came back inside the house and Sakura, Yamato and I just stared at each other probably wondering the same thing.

_Our seven month old twins started walking and Amaya and Hajime started saying their first words._

The kids began flaring their chakra and both said, "Sask! Sask!"

Sasuke walked in through the front door a few moments later and looked at us and said, "What?"

We were staring at him and then at the twins that began saying "Sask! Sask!"

He gave the twins that same startled look that Yamato had given Amaya but recovered from the shock and went to go and sit next to them on the floor.

His eyes widened when Hajime picked himself up by the edge of the couch and walked over to him in a rush.

Amaya, not to be outdone, crawled to his lap and began patting his face saying, "Sask aye!"

She touched his eyes and he realized what she wanted him to do.

Amaya knew that Sasuke's eyes changed color ever so often when we trained in the garden. She had observed him and knew that he could do that. He looked over at me and I shrugged. I wanted to see her reaction to the Sharingan.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and when Amaya saw it she clapped her hands and giggled. Her big grey eyes held the same wonder that Hajime's green ones had. They were both crawling over Sasuke trying to get a better look of the spinning tomeos.

Both were amazed by it and when Sasuke blinked to deactivate it they both became upset and were about to cry when he said, "Now, now that was enough for one day ok. Uncle Sasuke is tired, how about we go outside to look at the flowers in the garden?"

Amaya reached for him to pick her up and Hajime held onto his pant leg as they walked outside.

We all pretended that everything was perfectly normal and as soon as Sasuke went outside Yamato sighed and said, "Those two sure are talented. I wouldn't be surprised if they surpass you Senpai."

Sakura shook her head and said to me, "Kashi we need to talk to Tsunade-sama about this."

I inwardly groaned. Tsunade sama had become extremely attached to her grandchildren and I know that she would overreact to the news of them being this advanced for their age.

Tadashi had just started crawling and we were having to deal with walking and talking 7 month olds.

I suddenly felt Sasuke flaring his chakra and we all went outside. Amaya was trying to crawl up the tree in the garden using her chakra.

Hajime was not following her, only because Sasuke held on to him as he was reaching for Amaya who had managed to climb about two feet and was holding her weight by her own chakra.

I whispered, "Tenzou, please go and get my mother-in-law and bring her here."

_I was at a loss._

Normal babies had colic and teething issues, we had to deal with babies who knew how to use chakra and could now literally climb all over the house, including it's walls!

Sakura's grabbed my hand and squeezed pretty hard.

"Kashi what do we do?!"  
I take a deep breath and say, "Take it one day at a time."

* * *

Sakura's POV

(Time skip 5 months later)

"Sasuke I swear if you come back after another mission like this I will personally break every single bone in your body. Why would you be so reckless?!"  
"Come on Sakura…."

"You even waited until you were on the brink of death before you came into the house. You should have gone to the hospital. This wound was pretty severe you could have bleed to death."  
"I knew that you were putting the twins to sleep, I didn't want to disturb them."  
"And if they would have woken up to their uncle Sasuke dead on the front porch due to severe blood loss because he was too stupid to alert me of his presence, what then? If Hajime wouldn't have told me that you were outside I would have never known you were out there bleeding to death."

He sighed and hung his head and said, "I'm sorry Sakura, I didn't mean to worry you and the kids."

"It's ok but you will have to make it up to me by helping me plan the twins birthday party for next week.

"Deal"

"By the way, how is Karin doing? Is she still going to therapy with Suigetsu?"

"Yeah I think those two have hit it off. They used to fight all the time when we were a team, but it seems that they connected somehow in the last two months. I'm happy for them."  
I finished healing the large gash that had some how pierced his armor and told Sasuke to turn around so I could treat the cuts on his arms and on his cheek.

When I finished healing his arms, I placed my hands over his cheek to begin healing the cut from a flying shuriken.

I let my chakra flow into him and I stopped abruptly and said, "Sasuke, why didn't you tell me that you were having some problems with the Sharingan?"  
"Sakura, I knew from the beginning that I would eventually lose my sight, almost everyone in my clan used to have eye problems if they used their Sharingan regularly, I accepted that a long time ago."  
I hit him on his now healed arm and told him, "Sasuke, I treated Kakashi's Sharingan all through the war and I was even able to look through Itachi's records and that is what helped me understand the physiology of the Sharingan and help Kakashi. Here lay down and let me check it out."

I placed my hands over his eye and ran a preliminary test of his chakra pathways. His nerves were irritated and had some slight damage that could still be fixed. I healed as much as I could and when I told Sasuke to open his eyes he was surprised in how clear he could see.

"Thank you Sakura."  
"Now make sure that you let me give your Sharingan at least a monthly check up and if you will be gone for a long mission let me know so I can check it before you leave."

He smiled and then went to his room.

I was so glad that we had built a treatment room here at the house. It had already come in handy several times with Sai, Sasuke, Kiba and even Shikamaru.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

(Four years later)

"Sakura we are going to be late!"  
"Says the man who was never early for a single team meeting!"

I sighed and ran my finger through my hair.

I looked at Hajime who was sitting on the counter eating an apple looking a bit confused.

"Daddy, why did mommy say that you were always late. We have always been on time everywhere?"

"Well you see back then, Daddy had always dealt with things differently and I had a lot of things on my mind. I usually was late to most of the meetings but I asked mommy for forgiveness a long time ago."  
"Ok. Daddy I am done can I have a glass of milk?"

"Sure kiddo, but make sure that you don't spill. We have to look our best for your uncle's wedding."

I heard running footsteps coming from the hall and I turned around just as Amaya launched herself into my arms and said, "Daddy, look! Mommy did my hair, is it pretty?"  
I looked at her sideways and shook my head. Her eyes fell just a bit and then I said, "I don't think pretty is a strong enough word. I think you look exquisite."

"Huh?"

"It means that you look stunning, beautiful, the most precious thing in the world, no one compares to you."

She grinned at me and then gave me a kiss on the cheek.

She hugs me tightly and then says, "Daddy we are about to leave, you should put your mask back on."

The kids never asked why I wore a mask outside of our home. They seemed to understand that our private life at home was something that was personal in comparison to the jobs that Sakura and I had.

Amaya pulled my mask on and I gave her a quick kiss on the nose and said, "I love you princess."

Sakura came out of the room and she looked radiant.

I quickly pulled the necklace that I made for her last week and when I hugged her I stealthily placed the silver necklace on her.

She looked down and touched the matching cherry blossom that was almost the same replica to the cherry blossom on her wedding ring.

She gasped and was about to say something when I placed my finger on her lips and brought her over to where the kids were sitting.

I looked at Hajime and Amaya and told them, "It's time guys, just like I showed you."

They both touched the cherry blossom pendant and they concentrated their white chakra into the silver wire.

The pendant began to glow faintly like the blossom on her wedding ring.

Sakura's POV

I gasped and touched the pendant on the necklace.

_This was my children's chakra. They had managed to control and infuse their chakra into the pendant like Kakashi had done and they were just 5 years old._

I began to cry and I hugged my children and said, "I love you guys, this is really a wonderful gift. I will always wear it because that way I will always have a part of you near my heart."

Hajime and Amaya hugged me tightly and then I told them, "Ok everyone, we have to get going, or we will be late."

I leaned into my husband as he placed his hand on the swell of my abdomen.

He sent in a bit of his chakra into our unborn child and said, "Now don't you dare decide to come out today."

He smiled as he felt a slight jolt of chakra respond to him.

Kakashi leaned down and placed a kiss on my stomach and then gave me a quick kiss as he lowered his mask.

I was 7 months pregnant and we were expecting to have a son.

Because of Kakashi's heritage we knew that he could come at any time, but we hoped that he would at least hold on for a couple more weeks.

Amaya and Hajime ran to Sasuke's door and knocked as they yelled, "Uncle Sasuke! We are leaving, are you ready?"

He came out and picked both up and placed them on his shoulders.

Amaya giggled and Hajime made sure that his sister was steady so she wouldn't fall off.

Sasuke laughed and said, "Well let's go, Naruto will get mad if the best man didn't show up huh?"

Kakashi's POV

I got Hajime off of Sasuke and placed him next to Sakura.

He held his hand out for her to take, and began walking her towards the Hokage Tower.

_Hajime had all the manners that I lacked as a kid and he took care of his mother and sister without me ever asking him to._

_I guess he inherited my overprotective side._

_Amaya on the other hand, was a wild spirit who was as stubborn as she was loving._

_My princess was the epitome of Daddy's little girl._

I reached for her but she said, "Daddy, can I ride on Uncle Sasuke's shoulder on the way there and you can carry me on the way back."  
_Diplomatic like her mother too._

"Sure thing princess."

I walked on to catch up to Hajime and Sakura, as Sasuke and Amaya trailed closely behind us.

"Uncle Sasuke, look at that butterfly, isn't it pretty?!"

"It sure is Amaya."  
"Uncle Sasuke, will you dance with me at Uncle Naruto's wedding? Hajime doesn't want to and Daddy won't let Tadashi dance with me yet."  
I heard Sasuke chuckle and he said, "I would love to dance with you tonight Amaya."  
She giggled and we made our way to the event of the year.

Naruto and Hinata were finally going to get married.

* * *

Sasuke's POV

(1 month later)

I heard Kakashi call out to me in the middle of the night.

I flashed to the hallway where Sakura was panting and was obviously in labor.

"Sasuke, can you watch the kids? Sakura's contractions are getting closer and we will be heading out to the hospital."

Sakura's grip on his hand tightened and Kakashi's eyes just widened but he said nothing of the pain that was surely coursing through his left arm.

I nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of them."

With that, Kakashi picked Sakura up and carried her to the hospital.

I felt a twinge of regret as I thought about not being there when the baby was born because I had been there to see Hajime and Amaya be born.

I walked over to their now separate rooms and peeked inside.

The protections seals were still activated and they were sound asleep.

I had just turned 26 two months ago and everyone was either getting married or having children.

_Everyone except me. Way to go reviving your clan!_

I sighed and shook my head. Maybe this was my punishment from the gods. Seems like I was either too focused on the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and I hadn't really began to look for someone to spend my life with.

Shikamaru and Temari had been married for the last two years and had a baby on the way.

Ino and Sai were going to be married in six months. Apparently it took that long for Sai to figure out how to propose.

Even Yamato had a steady relationship with Ayame, the daughter of Teuchi from Ichiraku's.

Konohamaru and Moegi had been dating since the war and seemed to have a serious relationship.

Naruto's influence on the clan heads had a deep impact in clan politics. Some of the traditions that they had used seemed obsolete.

Marriages between different clans or non-clan members seemed to flourish. He even managed to convince the Hyuga clan to do away with the branch house seals.

Because of that, Tenten and Neji were able to get married and start a family.

Karin had left with Suigetsu back to Kirigakure and I haven't heard from them in about 8 months.

I went outside to the garden and began to think about things in my life.

Over the last couple of years I have slowly restored the Uchiha compound but it has always felt so lonely that I couldn't ever live there by myself.

I began renting out rooms to the medical students that were coming to the Medical School and that seemed to help maintain the place until I one day decide to go back.

I remembered Hajime's sleeping face and dreamed about how it would have been if I had a son.

Amaya's smiling face flashed in my thoughts and I know that a daughter would probably had been the best thing in the world as well.

I loved these kids and they were so advanced for their age that Kakashi and Sakura had to ask Naruto to make an exception so they could attend the academy at age 7. Entrance to the academy was now at age 8 and they don't graduate until they turn at least 10.

It wasn't that Sakura and Kakashi wanted to thrust them into the life of the shinobi, it was quite the opposite. They knew that their kids needed the training but most of all the interaction with kids that had their level of skills. They didn't want the kids to grow a superiority complex because how they compared to other children their own age.

So far these kids knew they were special but they didn't flaunt it or feel arrogant about it. They seem to have an unbelievable set of patience, for a five-year old, and even try to help Tadashi begin to have some sort of control over his own chakra.  
Tadashi was a smart kid, very humble and obedient to his parents but his loyalty was what set him apart. He would do just about anything for his friends and they were barely 5 years old!

I kept thinking that in just a couple of years I probably will take over their genin team once they graduate from the academy.

The following morning Hajime and Amaya go into the kitchen where I had already started breakfast.

As they sat down they noticed that their parents were not home.

"Uncle Sasuke, where is mommy and daddy?" Amaya asked.

I said, "I think that your baby brother is on his way and your mommy might have him today. I promised your parents to take care of you until they got back. So what do you want to do today?"

Hajime's eye brightened and he said, "Uncle Kiba had said that he was off today. Could we go and play with Akamaru and Aunty Hana's dogs?"

I almost blushed at the mention of Hana's name.

...

We had gone on an undercover mission about a week and a half ago to the Land of Snow and we had been caught in a blizzard and had to seek shelter.

We were probably fighting hypothermia as it was, and we had no other choice but to use our body heat to maintain ourselves warm.

We fell asleep in each other's arms and when I woke up in the middle of the night I realized that we were completely wrapped in each and I felt the need to kiss her slightly parted lips.

Her warm body electrified my own and it took all that I had not to make her mine right there.

She was intelligent, strong, independent and a fearsome kunoichi, but right now all I could think about was how soft her body felt against my own.

I remember the taste of her soft lips and how she gave me a slight moan in her sleep as she cuddled closer to me.

She murmured, "Sasuke… more… please" in her sleep.

I had been completely taken by surprise by her words and I wondered if she was awake or not.

I stayed absolutely still for a couple of minutes but only felt her fall deeper into sleep.

That following morning I acted as nothing had happened but felt myself smile every time I would catch her smelling herself or trying to smell me when we would bump into each other.

I knew that my scent was all over her and she probably could smell our arousal from the night before but she still said nothing. When I would look at her, the blush on her cheeks would say the feelings that she refused to tell me.

When we came back to Konoha after that trip, I left her at the Hokage Tower after I moved her hair back and gave her a kiss on the cheek as I whispered, "I hope to see you soon."

She blushed and I turned around to head back home.

...

"Uncle Sasuke!"

Amaya began pulling on my sleeve.

"Uncle Sasuke, so can we?"

I looked at her and said, "Huh?"  
She sighed and said, "Can we go see Aunty Hana?"

I smiled and said, "Yes, let's go see Aunty Hana…"

I needed to keep my promise to see her again too.

* * *

A/N: So what did you guys think about the layout of this chapter?

I know that it is completely different due to the time skips and everything, but I wanted to fast forward to certain events and give you guys a teaser of what's to come.

Do I need to just stop here or should I elaborate some more in some things. I was thinking about the next chapter being the final chapter (or second to last chapter- depending on how much more I want to add) for this story and leave the ending as the twins enter into the academy. That should be a good starting point for the sequel but I kinda want your opinion first.

I know that having Sasuke end up with Inuzuka Hana is way out on left field but I thought that he deserved a good strong woman and I didn't want to create another character for him. Hana is a good woman, who can help him, she can be understanding and caring, and not put up with any shit from anyone. As Kiba's older sister (well not that old, just 3 years older), she had to be badass to begin with. Plus, it kinda helps Sasuke move on without him ever losing his relationship with the Hatake's.

Sakura and Kakashi have another baby! I will definitely reveal his name and how cute he looks in the next chapter! This little one will be the same, or close to the same age as the other kids that Shikamaru/Temari, Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Tenten, Sai/Ino will have!

I truly appreciate all of your reviews and they help motivate me to continue to write each night.


	62. Chapter 62

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 62

* * *

Sasuke's POV

We arrived at the Inuzuka compound and were greeted by Kiba.

"Uncle Kiba! Uncle Kiba!"

"Hey kiddos, watcha doing?"

Amaya ran up to him and jumped in his arms, "Mommy is going to have our little brother today, so Uncle Sasuke is taking care of us today."  
Hajime then said, "We asked him if he could bring us here since you told me that you would be off today. We wanted to see Akamaru and Aunty Hana's dogs."

"Well she is at the veterinary clinic today I think she gets off at noon."

Amaya pouted and said, "Awwww, but we wanted to play her dogs too."

Kiba grinned at her and said to me, "If you want I can head home with the kids so they can play with Akamaru while you go and tell Hana to come home after work so we can all have lunch."

Hajime and Amaya look at me and say, "Please Uncle Sasuke?"

I smile at them and ruffle Hajime's gravity defying hair and say, "Ok, I'll let Hana know."

Kiba picked up Amaya and placed her on his shoulders as Hajime followed close behind.

I waved at them and then headed towards Hana's clinic.

…..

It was virtually impossible to sneak up on an Inuzuka, much less the one from the Head Clan's family.

I activated my Sharingan before I even got to the clinic to watch her from afar.

She was working on a dog who looked like he had been severely injured.

I saw the care that she took to cleanse the wounds, the way she talked to the animal to keep it calm, and the way that the wounded animal didn't feel threatened by her in any way.

She smiled and my Sharingan memorized the way that her smile reached her eyes and there was a sincerity in her eyes that I couldn't even begin to describe.

I approached the entrance and flared my chakra so that she would know who I was as I approached.

She yelled from the inside, "I know it is you Sasuke, I smelled your scent when you got to the compound. So what brings you here?"  
She smiled at me and I almost forgot what I came here to ask her, I mean tell her.

_Damn it, You're a Uchiha… don't freak out. She might be able to smell your anxiousness. Don't dogs smell fear, wait she isn't a dog, can she smell fear? What the hell is going on!? Say something to her?!_

Another second passed and she continued to look at me, a smirk plastered on her face, like she could have read my inner dialogue.

I recovered quickly and said, "I think Sakura is going to have the baby today, so I have Hajime and Amaya with me until they get back from the hospital in a couple of days."  
"So where are the kids?"

"Oh, yeah I left them with Kiba. He said he was off today and you would get out early and you might want to join me, I mean us for lunch."  
_Fuck, What the hell is going on with me?!_  
Hana looked at me and came a bit closer to me, she inhaled deeply and then said, "Sasuke, your troubled about something?"

_Me troubled? She didn't know the half of it! I hadn't felt this way about a woman well, since Sakura. I didn't want to ruin this, especially the friendship that we had established over the years._

Her lips looked so soft and I could just remember how they tasted that night I stole a kiss from her.

I looked at her and schooled my expressions and said, "No, I am fine. There's nothing troubling me."

"Really? Your scent tells me something else entirely."

She came closer to me and I made the mistake of looking down at her lips.

She noticed that, and looked up at mine.

I would have given anything to close that distance between us and take her in my arms, but I somehow found the strength, _or stupidity_, to pull back and ask about the injured dog that she had just been working on.

Her eyes gave a flash of an unknown emotion but then they focused and approached the examination table where the dog lay resting.

She approached the dog and began to pet him while she told me what had happened to him during a mission. His owner, one of Hana's second cousins, was in the hospital recovering himself.

I looked down at the animal and I knew that I wasn't welcomed to pet it so I just said quietly, "Hope you get well soon. The Inuzuka dogs are just as much our comrades on the field as any shinobi out there."

Hana looked up at me and then the dog whimpered and she looked at it.

They seemed to share some sort of connection and the conversation they shared was definitely a private one by the surprised look on Hana's eyes.

Hana looked at me once more and then back at the dog and smiled.

She made sure that the dog was comfortable and had food and water within reach. She told him that there would be a veterinary technician would be just outside the door in case he needed anything.

She looked at me and said, "So… where are we going for lunch?"  
I smiled at her and as we walked back to her house we talked about how we had done for the last couple of days.

I kept seeing her reactions and how easy going she was. Not once did she interrupt me, and she was genuinely interested in what I told her. I, in turn, was absolutely fascinated by her words. She could have read the dictionary backwards and I would have thought it was the most interesting thing in the world.

I memorized her features that night in the cave, but the light from the moon did not do her justice. She was happiest in the sun that was for sure. I could see how she interacted with her dogs and the air of peace that enveloped her as she calmly walked home.

When we got to her house, we could hear Kiba and the kids playing inside the house already.

_Amaya's laughter was like a peal of sweet bells that made you smile each time you heard it._

As soon as we got to the front door Kiba yelled, "Took you long enough?"

I shook my head and Hana smiled at her younger brother.

When Hajime saw Hana, he got up and walked up to her and said, "Aunty Hana would you like to join us on a picnic? Granny Tsume is making us lunch so we can head out."

_That kid would grow up surrounded by girls not just for his looks but for his manners. It's like he was a part of royalty or something with the way that he carried himself._

Amaya yelled from Kiba's shoulders, "Please Aunty Hana… Please come with us, it won't be any fun if you don't go."

Hana reached out for her and when she picked her up and kissed Amaya's cheek I saw what I wanted to have. I wanted to see her do that to our children. I wanted to see Hana look at me like that when she got home from her clinic. I wanted to be the one to own each and every one of her smiles.

It seemed that time stood still for me at that moment and all I could see was her and her smile.

Tsume-san cleared her throat and said, "Uchiha, will you come and get this basket for them. Kiba and Hana can take the kids outside for a minute."  
There was some exchanged looks between Tsume-san and her children, but they obeyed her without a moment's hesitation.

I went into the kitchen with my features as stoic as possible and with my chakra in check.

Tsume-san washed her hands and closed the picnic basket that she had prepared and said, "If what I smelled right now is what I think it is, you better do yourself a favor and stop if you are not serious about my daughter. She has gone through too much heartbreak for her to lose her heart again to someone who is not worthy of it."

I looked at her but my eyes held all the things that I wanted to say but couldn't.

I was about to say something but Tsume-san stopped me and said, "Hana-chan is not getting younger, she has devoted her life to her clinic and since she is not the clan heir she is free to choose whomever she wishes as her lifelong mate."

_Lifelong mate? Is she trying to tell me something that I don't know about._

My puzzlement must have been evident somewhere in my face because she chuckled slightly and said, "A Inuzuka female only mates with one male for life. Hana-chan has had her share of suitors but none have touched her heart. I am warning you Uchiha, I know what kind of scent you are putting out right now and as much as I hate to admit it, your intentions seem honest, but I won't tolerate my only daughter to be heartbroken because of you. If you chose to court her, do it with the knowledge that if you are not willing to take the responsibility of a wife then you shouldn't try to sneak around with her."

I bow to her as I approach her to take the basket from her hands and say, "Tsume-san will you give me permission to court your daughter?"  
She grinned at me and said, "Pup, if I didn't like you I wouldn't have said anything. Kakashi-san is family and you have become a part of theirs, so by extension I have come to trust you and judge you by your actions. I know that you have been sincere in your change of heart towards the village and I can just see how Hajime and Amaya love you. You even exude a protectiveness that is endearing, considering that those pups aren't even yours. I give you my permission to court Hana, if she will have you is a totally different subject."

She laughed and then said good luck as I left her house.

Hajime and Amaya had taken Hana on ahead and Kiba was the one that stayed back and he only watched me as I closed the door of his house.

He grinned at me and then said, "Look Sasuke, you have become something of a brother to me these last couple of years, and I respect your work for the village. I know that Hana seemed to have changed a bit since the last mission that you had together because every time that I mentioned you, her face and actions would change, not to mention her scent. Now I know that you haven't done anything to her yet, but hear me, IF you break her heart for any reason, I will hunt you down and have not just Akamaru, but my sister's and my mother's dogs tear you to shreds."

_I take it he heard everything that his mom and I talked about in there._

I sighed and said, "Look Kiba I don't want to mess this up. Kami knows that I have screwed up in that department plenty of times, I just don't want to lose the friendship that Hana and I have either. Hana and I… Well, I really care about her… and I don't think I have felt this way towards any female in a very long time. Your right, after our last mission something changed and I don't want it to slip through my fingers."  
Kiba smelled the air and said, "You really are serious aren't you? Well in that case, I will help you. But if Hana finds out I will deny my involvement absolutely, do you understand?"

I nod and we walk on toward three sets of familiar chakra signatures.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

"Love you need to push one last time, I can see the head already."

I grabbed my wife's hand and sent in feelings of encouragement and comfort.

She had been in labor for hours and this time it felt like she was having a harder time.

Tsunade kept a close eye on the baby and she said, "Sakura, look at me, you need to focus, the baby is almost here you need to give me one last push."  
My wife gathered her energy and gave one last push as sweat dripped from her brow.

Tsunade-sama managed to get the baby out but I didn't hear the familiar cry.

All I saw was my mother-in-law take my son to a seperate table and begin to lay her glowing hands on him.

_No…._

I was torn on where to be, Sakura could feel my tension and she whispered, "Go to our son, name him and tell me he is ok."

Shizune took over where Tsunade-sama had left off and began to heal Sakura once more.

I quietly walked to the table were my son was and I looked on as Tsunade-sama kept pushing her chakra into his tiny body.

I gasped and she looked up at me and said, "Hatake, look at me."  
I didn't really see her… All I saw was my newborn son, lying still on the table.

She didn't break her concentration but she said, "Kakashi, Look. At. Me."

I tore my eyes off of my son and she said, "Slightly charge your chidori to one of your fingers, use about 1/100th of the charge and place it right on his chest. NOW!"

I instinctively followed her orders and did as she asked.

When my finger touched his small chest I not only stuck him with some of my lightning but I flooded his entire system with my white chakra.

We waited for a couple of seconds and she continued to send her chakra into him and she said, "Kakashi do it once more but increase it by just a bit."

Her face was passive but her eyes were fierce.

I did what she asked me again and when I touched his chest once more, I heard a slight cry come from his lips.

_That was the most beautiful sound on earth._

I looked at him and thanked Kami for letting my son live.

_Kei, his name will be Kei. It means blessed and lucky._

His color was returning to normal and Tsunade-sama was wrapping him in a blanket after she finished healing him and making sure that everything was fine.

I took him in my arms and inhaled deeply.  
_He smelled like the forest, like part of me._

His small fingers were tightly wrapped on my finger and he was beginning to stir in his sleep.

I gently sent some comforting chakra into him and he snuggled deeper into the blanket hiding part of his face. His unruly silver hair was even more wild-looking than mine and Hajime's.

I had to smile at his appearance. All of my children shared the same hair color as me and their hair was just as untamed. Amaya's had been brushed and always placed into pigtails or a braid to maintain her locks in check. Hajime's hair resembled mine but Kei's was all over the place, much like Sasuke's looks in the back.

I went to my wife and introduced her to our son.

"Sakura, this is Kei."  
She wept and said a small prayer and said to me, "Thank you Kashi… for saving our son."  
I looked deep into her eyes and she whispered, "I knew something was wrong the minute that I didn't hear him cry."

I comforted my wife and kissed her forehead.

"Love, you need to rest you are tired."

She had been in active labor for the last 14 hours and she needed to sleep.

I sat on the chair next to her holding my son and began to pray for the health and well being of my wife and child. Shizune had told me that they had both gone through a rough delivery and would need to recuperate

I had simply nodded but then she added, "Kakashi, I'll tell Genma to take over ANBU operations for the next couple of days while you take care of your family. I will make sure to run it through Naruto to get permission."

I thanked her and continued to sit in this chair looking at my son and how close I was to losing him before he had even taken his first breath.

* * *

A/N: So this is not the last chapter. I felt weird about leaving it at chapter 62, so I might just go to 65 or 70 before stopping. Sorry I haven't updated. I had my dad's birthday and my daughter's graduation to celebrate this weekend.

Please review.


	63. Chapter 63

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 63

* * *

Sakura's POV

Because of Kei's problems during the delivery, Tsunade-sama wanted him to be in the hospital for a couple more days.

I had stayed with him after the birth and I checked him out and verified that there was nothing wrong with him.

Kakashi on the other hand, agreed with Tsunade-sama and wanted him to stay one more day under her care to be sure.

I looked at my husband and saw the fear that was present in his eyes when Kei would fall asleep and then hold his breath.

Kakashi hasn't slept since Kei was born and even though I told him that babies sometimes do that and then they go on breathing like normal, he wasn't so convinced. He would stare at him for hours, just watching him sleep and when Kei would do that breathholding, Kakashi's chakra would flare and he would be instantly hovering over him.

I tried to get him to sleep and he would just shrug it off and say that I was the one that needed to rest and recuperate.

Shizune had taken Kakashi and Kei to the nursery to give him his shots, so right now I was in the room by myself thinking about my husband and son.

There was a knock on the door and Tsunade-sama came in.

"Sakura… Can I talk with you for a second?"  
"Yes, please come in I wanted to talk with you about Kakashi and Kei."  
She sighed and said, "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

I sat up a little straighter and she took the chair to my side.

"Sakura, how is Kakashi doing?"  
"Well, he is always worried about Kei and is constantly watching him. He hasn't slept and he is freaking out about any little thing."  
She shook her head and said, "Sakura, I gave you enough time to heal so I am going to be honest with you. Kei was not breathing when he was born. His heart failed after the delivery and there was a tear on the inside of one of the chambers in his heart.

I healed the tear immediately but Kakashi saw your son… well… unresponsive."  
The gravity of her words was sinking in. She had managed to heal most of the damage before I even got to touch him so I was unaware of the severity of his condition.

"Sakura…. Kakashi's lightning and his chakra is what saved your son. He kick started Kei's heart once more and well I wouldn't be too hard on Kakashi after having to witness and do what he did. You have helped him out so much that I can sometimes see the young six-year-old Kakashi in the way that he interacts with Hajime and Amaya, but that man has had to deal with a lot of painful memories from the past... that things like this could break him. He loves you and the kids dearly, so take care of each other."  
I nodded and said nothing as Kakashi came in slightly rocking Kei in his arms.

He whispered how much he loved him and how proud he was of him.

My heart clenched at the sight of my husband in his most unguarded state.

_He truly was the real Hatake Kakashi when he was with us. There was no reason for him to hide his true self to us._

I opened my arms and Kakashi handed Kei over to me and kissed me on the forehead.

"Sakura, you should have seen him, he cried for a second after they gave him his shot but then he calmed down immediately after I picked him up, not a single tear on his face."  
I smiled at my husband and then I kissed the top of Kei's head.

I then looked at my husband and placed my hand on his bare cheek and said, "Kashi, you need to sleep love. I will stay awake and watch Kei while you rest. I don't want to hear you arguing with me on this. Go to that couch and fall asleep or so help me I will get Tsunade-sama to place a sleeping jutsu on you."  
He looked like he was going to say something but then thought better and hung his head. I ran my fingers through his hair and his eyes met mine.

"Kakashi, please rest. I will be here and I promise to wake you up if there is a problem. I can also protect our children… or do you not have any faith in your poor wife?"  
I pouted my lips so that he could see that I was teasing him and trying to lighten the situation.

He smiled and said, "Sakura, you would be the scariest, most deadly woman alive if anyone tried to harm our children. I trust you."  
He kissed the top of my head and then ran his white chakra laced finger along my cheek sending me his feelings of gratefulness, comfort, and peace.

He did the same for Kei and he reacted by snuggling deeper into the blanket and falling into a deeper sleep.

Kakashi walked over to the couch in the room and quickly fell asleep.

I knew that he would still keep listening to his surroundings just like he used to when we camped out as genin and it warmed my heart to know that Kakashi would do anything to keep our family safe.

I looked at my son and was even more thankful for his now restored health and prayed that he would grow to be strong and caring just like his father.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

When I woke up it was the following morning.

_How did I sleep for that long?_

I got up and went over to Sakura's bed where she was feeding Kei.

She looked at me and said, "Good morning Kashi, did you sleep well?"  
I raised my eyebrow in her direction and she said, "Don't look at me like that… I didn't put any jutsu on you. That was all you."  
I was puzzled and said, "How did I sleep all night long and didn't hear anything?"  
Tsunade-sama cleared her throat and said, "Because I placed a silencing jutsu in your side of the room so there was no noise for you to wake you up."

I was about to say something but she came up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "Kakashi, you needed the sleep. How would you be able to protect your family when you are exhausted beyond belief."  
"But… I… Kei…"  
"Kei is fine. His heart is perfectly normal, Sakura herself has checked him out. He has a clean bill of health now and you can go home if you wish."  
Sakura looked at me and said, "Love we need to go and see Hajime and Amaya. I am pretty sure that they want to meet their baby brother."

I sighed and scratched the back of my head and accepted the sneaky moves of my wife and mother-in-law.

I picked up Sakura's things and started putting them in my pack.

Sakura picked up Kei and she held him close to her chest.

We walked out onto the balcony and I immediately felt my ANBU guard create a perimeter and I picked up my wife and child and headed back home.

* * *

Sasuke's POV

The kids and I were sitting on the table having breakfast when Hajime said, "Aunty Hana is coming over. She is by the gate."

It surprised me how well they could sense chakra signatures.

I got up from the table and followed Amaya and Hajime out the door to meet Hana as she crossed the front garden and walked up towards us.

Amaya ran to her and said, "Aunty Hana, we were having breakfast would you like to join us?"  
She smiled at her and then looked up at me with bright shining eyes and said, "I would love that sweetie."

I kept my eyes trained on her and I watched how she held Amaya's hand and how she softly ruffled Hajime's hair as he asked about her dogs.

She smiled down at him and she said, "They have the day off, so I let them stay home and sleep in."

Amaya said, "I would like to sleep in but Hajime always comes into my room and wakes me up early in the morning."

Hajime answers, "If you don't start getting up early you won't be used to it when we have to go to the academy. Plus Uncle Sasuke won't be able to train with us if you sleep in all day."

Amaya pouted and she said, "Well I would wake up early if Uncle Sasuke cooked for us everyday."

I smirked and Hana looked at me and said, "So, does Uncle Sasuke cook well?"  
Hajime waved her closer and when she knelt next to him and he whispered, "He can cook better than mom and dad but please don't tell them. I don't want to hurt their feelings."

I actually laughed at his comment and when he gave me a worried look I winked at him and said, "Thanks for the praise Hajime, and don't worry, I won't tell either of them. They might actually make me get up every morning to make breakfast."

We walked back into the house and I went straight into the kitchen to fix her a plate.

Hana sat the kids on the table and they began to finish their breakfast.

I suddenly felt her presence behind me and I almost dropped her plate when she 'accidentally' bumped into me as she reached for the tea.

I gripped the plate and took a steadying breath as I smelled the scent of her shampoo.

It was clean and fresh, not some of the girly shampoo's that other women used.

I said to her, "Better eat up before it gets cold."

I placed the plate on the table and I pulled out her chair so she could sit down.

She looked at me as she sat down and whispered, "Thank you, Sasuke."  
Hajime observed our interaction but said nothing.

Amaya had other thoughts though because she said, "Uncle Sasuke, will you and Aunty Hana kiss like mommy and daddy do?"

Hana blushed and I just stared at my favorite little Hatake and wondered if I should change her title after what she just said.

I cleared my throat and bravely asked, "Why would you say that Amaya?"  
She smiled at us and said, "Daddy pulls out Mommy's chair when we sit down to eat and she always kisses him after."

Such an innocent observation that held so much meaning even if she didn't know it.

I nervously looked down at Hana and she looked at me and then grabbed me from the collar and pulled me down so she could kiss me on the cheek.

I was taken aback from her sudden action that I could only say, "Umm… Hana would you like some more tea?"  
She smiled at me and then winked and said, "I would love some."

_This woman…_

I refilled her tea and sat down next to her across from Hajime.

We continued to eat our breakfast and then we felt the chakra signatures of Kakashi's ANBU guard and Hajime and Amaya both looked at me and smiled.

Hajime said, "Mommy and Daddy are coming home."

Amaya smiled and closed her eyes and said, "I can feel our baby brother's chakra!"

Hana whispered to me, "Amazing…"  
I grinned in her direction and said, "You have no idea."

She smiled back and said, "Thank you for breakfast Sasuke… it really was delicious. I hope you are able to cook for me some other time."

I grinned at her and then winked and said, "Maybe I can… only if I get the same thanks that I got just now."

She looked up and said, "And that would be?"  
I leaned in really close just above her lips and inhaled deeply.

I leaned back to see her eyes closed and a beautiful blush graced her cheeks.

"That's the one…"  
She opened her eyes and stared into mine.

She realized that I meant her blush as payment for my cooking and she smiled at me and it almost took my breath away.

Kakashi's chakra was close so we went to the door to welcome them back.

My commander held Sakura in his arms and she held a small baby wrapped up in a blue blanket.

The twins stood still and took in the sight before them.

Sakura told Kakashi to set her down and then he waved Hajime and Amaya over to them.

I watched Kakashi's family interact with one another.

Sakura opened the blanket and introduced the baby to Hajime and Amaya.

Kakashi saw me and Hana on the porch and slightly raised his eyebrow to me but then said, "Sasuke, Hana, come over here and meet our son."

We approached them and Amaya was already smiling at her baby brother and Hajime was gently caressing his hand.

Kakashi knelt and said to all of us, "Guys, this is Kei."

He was a shy little guy, he seemed to have Kakashi's propensity for hiding his face because he kept snuggling into the blanket and covering his face.

Amaya quietly said, "Hi Kei, I am your big sister Amaya and I will make sure that you have so much fun. I will tell you all the hiding places around the village and I will show you all the fun things that Uncle Kiba and Uncle Naruto taught us."

Hajime looked at his sister like she had grown a second head.

He shook his head and said, "Hi Kei, I'm your big brother Hajime and I will protect you and keep you safe from all the crazy things that Amaya wants to do. I will also teach you all the things that I know how to do."

Even though they were twins their personalities were sometimes the complete opposite, yet they loved each other fiercely.

They charged up their chakra and touched Kei's hand.

Kei actually opened his eyes and tried to focus his grey eyes in our direction.

Amaya gave him a kiss on the forehead and then Hajime did the same.

Kakashi took Kei from Sakura and brought him over to where I was standing.

He handed me the baby and I expertly took him in my arms.

I looked down at him and I said, "Hey Kei, my name is Sasuke and I will be your uncle from now on. I want you to know that you can count on me and I will protect you in any way that I can until the day that I die."

I ran my finger along his hand and he took it and his small hand encircled my finger. He opened his eyes and then I felt a slight jolt of chakra run through me but it was different from Hajime's or Amaya's. I felt calm and his chakra was cool to the touch. The twins chakra was warm and gave you the feeling of being out in the sun. Kei's felt like a calm night in spring. It was a very refreshing feeling and it made me feel like me and him would get along just fine.

I smiled as Hana got close to me and she placed her hand on my shoulder as her other hand ran through that unruly silver mop of hair of his.

She said, "Hey little one, I'm your Aunty Hana and you just let me know if you want your own animal familiar and I will be sure to get you one. We're family and I, and any Inuzuka, would gladly die protecting you."

She continued to smile at Kei and her hand on my shoulder just felt right, like it belonged there.

Sakura walked up to us and Hana let go of me to go and give her a hug.

She said, "Sakura-chan, your children are absolutely adorable."

She then called out to Hajime and Amaya and said, "Come on guys let go finish clearing the breakfast dishes and then let your mommy rest."

Hana walked back into the house with Amaya and Hajime each holding her hand.

When they entered the house Sakura turned to me and said, "So breakfast with Hana?"

She grinned in my direction and Kakashi gave a low chuckle.

I immediately got what she was trying to say and I almost stammered out, "It's not what you think… She came over this morning and the kids invited her in for breakfast."  
Sakura grinned and then winked at me and said, "She's a good woman… You'd be stupid to lose a chance with her."  
I looked at little Kei in my arms and then I whispered, "I asked Tsume-san for permission to court her."

I heard Sakura gasp and then she came over and hugged my shoulders as I tried to not jostle Kei around.

Kakashi put his hand on my shoulder and whispered, "Well, I suggest you make sure that you let her know before someone else comes and steals her from you."  
I looked up immediately and said, "Who… do you know anything?"  
He laughed and then said to Sakura, "He has it bad, huh?"  
She nodded and then said, "Sasuke, don't waste this opportunity to find your happiness. She seems pretty interested, I wonder what happened between you two on the mission to the Land of Snow."

I couldn't hide the blush that erupted on my face so I just kept my eyes glued on Kei and how he tightened his tiny grip on my finger and placed his other hand over his mouth, as if to cover his features.

I looked at Kakashi and said, "I think Kei inherited a lot more from you than Hajime and Amaya. Look his hair is just like yours, he has your eye color and he even wants to hide his face from others."

Kakashi sighed and said, "His scent is just like a forest, which smells like me as well."

I looked at both and said, "Good luck if he comes out to be like those two over there. Guess we need to baby-proof the house again."

We laughed at the memory of our children trying to jump from the roof to the nearest tree when they were three years old and then we made our way back inside.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed a bit more Sasuke/Hana action and hopefully laying down the groundwork for their relationship.

I absolutely love Hajime and how he is and his personality.

Please review!


	64. Chapter 64

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 64

* * *

Sasuke's POV

(6 months later)

"Hana!"

I watched as the enemy rouge shinobi from cloud attacked Hana and her dogs as I was surrounded by 7 rogue nins myself.

Her dogs surrounded her and then took the rouge shinobi out before he even came close to her.

I turned my attention to the rouge nins in front of me and made the seals for a katon jutsu to take them all out at the same time.

I flashed to her side and we were back to back as the enemy's reinforcements surrounded us.

"I didn't think that we would be doing this again so soon."  
I grinned at her and remembered how we spared together against a bunch of Naruto's clones a couple of weeks ago before we left on this mission together.

I told her, "So do you want to use your technique like last time and I give you back up?"  
"I'd love that, honey."  
She growled and then my girlfriend and her dogs began spinning and attacking the rouge nins around us. I had the Sharingan activated and kept watch for any openings or any possible places where she could be countered.

There were none and I had a prideful smirk plastered on my face at how my girlfriend looked as she took down nin after nin.

Her graceful movements that matched her dogs spinning was hard for the normal eye to see, but with my Sharingan, I was able to see how at ease she was and the slight smile on her face as each enemy went down.

_I loved this woman._

She was amazing in every sense of the word and our relationship was progressing quickly but neither of us seemed to mind.

After we disposed of the last of the enemy nins, we picked up the scrolls that we were asked to retrieve from the enemies possession and made our way back home.

I looked at Hana and asked her if she wanted to stop by the next village so that we could rest and take a proper bath.

She squeezed my hand and smiled at me and said, "You read my mind. I can smell a village nearby."  
When we got to the small village I could tell why she said she could smell the village. There was a local festival going around and there were many vendors and food carts lining the streets.

I stopped by one and bought us a quick lunch as we made our way towards one of the inns. Hana's dogs had gone around the village to scout the perimeter and would meet us later in the evening.

Hana saw a quaint little inn and pulled me that way.

The kind owner looked at us but said nothing of our attire as she handed us the keys to a room.

We both walked into the room and made a security check and then placed out things on the floor next to the bed.

I told her, "Go ahead and take a shower first, I'll start writing the report and then maybe we can go and enjoy the festival for a little while."  
She smiled and said, "Thank you, Sasuke. I won't be long…. but if I am, come in and get me."  
She winked at me and the stepped inside the bathroom.

I rubbed my hands on my face and then thought about what I had wanted to ask Hana when we got back from this mission. I have known for a while that this is exactly what I want to do yet, I wanted it to be special for her.

Images of the first time that we made love about 3 months ago flashed before my eyes and of course they were in vivid detail thanks to the Sharingan.

Her soft skin, her gentle curves and the way that she lost herself with me almost made me go and tear down the door of the bathroom and join her, but I knew that her jutsu took a lot out of her and we weren't back in Konoha to be able to let our guard down.

I sighed and went to the counter and pulled out my water bottle. I went to the balcony to scope the little village out with my Sharingan and took a small sip of water. I noticed that they were preparing fireworks and there was a nice little clearing about 50 yards from here.

_I could tell her there…_

The anticipation was getting to me and then I thought of Hana's gentle kiss from this morning as we woke up and the way that she caressed my face as she moved my hair from my face.

I had to dump the rest of my water on my head just so that I could clear my thoughts enough to walk inside and face her.

_Yes… I would tell her tonight._

Hana walked out of the bathroom in a red yukata that had a blue pattern of flowers running down the light fabric.

It's as if she brought this particular yukata to tease me. It bore my clan colors, yet it wasn't ostentatious or anything. One would have to know enough about the Uchiha's to recognize the way that the colors mingled together.

I smiled at her and then went up to her and kissed her cheek and said, "You look beautiful."

She kissed me back and our kiss deepened and then I pulled myself away and said, "Let me get ready and we can go out. I found a great spot to see the festival."  
She nodded and then said, "Ok, but hurry it's getting dark and they will start soon."  
I showered and got dressed in one of the civilian clothes that we had packed and before I left the room I took out the small box that I carried in my flak jacket pocket.

I have to thank Kakashi for making sure that most of the Uchiha heirlooms were kept safe for all of those years.

_Well here it goes…._

I took Hana's hand and after we walked around the small village and bought some food to take with us, we headed to the clearing to find a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.

I pulled out the small blanket that I bought in one of the stalls and then had Hana sit in front of me so she could lay back on my chest and rest.

I kissed the top of her head and then I heard her dogs bark softly to let us know that they were near. I looked in their direction and waved them over.

I took out some steaks that I bought and handed them one each for their dinner.

Hana ginned and said, "Sasuke, you are going to spoil them."

Her dogs gave her what sounded like an indignant bark and then backed away towards the trees.

I shrugged and said, "They did a great job today, I think that they deserved it."

She laughed and said, "You don't do that for Akamaru when you and Kiba go out on missions."  
I chuckled and kissed the top of her head again and said, "If I did, Kiba and Akamaru would expect it every time we go out on missions, and we go out on a lot of them. I would end up broke if I did that."

She snuggled into my arms took a deep breath and instantly calmed herself and said, "Sasuke I have to say something to you."

I looked down at her waiting for her to tell me what was on her mind, but we were interrupted by the sudden explosions of the fireworks.

She looked up at the sky and smiled.

The light reflecting off of her made her look magnificent. She had a glow about her the last couple of days that made me want to kiss her every time that I was near her.

We watched the fireworks and when I thought that she wasn't looking I took out the Uchiha matriarch's ring from the small box in my pocket and I stealthily put it on her as I whispered in her ear, "Inuzuka Hana, would you spend the rest of your life with me and walk with me through life's ups and downs in this life and the next?"

She looked down at the ring that now decorated her hand and looked back at me and said, "Sasuke you couldn't get rid of me even if you tried."

I leaned in and kissed her as fireworks burst for the closing finale.

As she broke our kiss she looked at me and then whispered, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

Sakura's POV

(1 month later)

I looked at Hana's chart and tried to school my features as I said, "Sasuke please take a seat."

He looked at Hana who was sitting on the examination table and grabbed her hand and then took a seat next to her. He tried to hide how nervous he was but I could tell the little twitch that he got on the side of his left eye and the way that his shoulder muscles tensed.

I smiled at Hana and then I smiled at Sasuke.

I gathered my strength and then said, "Hana your tests came back and you are in perfect health, you should have a relatively normal pregnancy."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he said, "What do you mean by relatively?"

I sighed and looked at Hana and then said to him, "Sasuke, Hana is a full-blooded Inuzuka, their gestational periods are different from most. Where a normal shinobi or civilian's pregnancy would be about nine months long, Inuzuka's have a six month gestational period. They develop a lot faster than non-Inuzuka's. Your Uchiha blood might make a difference so you are probably looking at a seven to eight month pregnancy. We will keep an eye on her and make sure that everything is going ok with the pregnancy."

He visibly relaxed and said, "So the baby should be fine, right?"  
I nodded and then said, "I will do an ultrasound on her next and we can look at how the baby is growing, ok?"  
Hana placed her hand on her growing stomach and then said to us, "Sakura-chan, I have a feeling that we might have some surprises in store."  
Sasuke looked up at her and said, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged as she smiled and said, "I just have a feeling."

I got the ultrasound machine prepared and then I said, "Are you guys ready?"

I had a feeling that Hana was right about surprises because as I focused the image, I began to stare onto the screen and it reminded me of the first time that I saw Hajime and Amaya.

Sasuke's Sharingan was spinning and memorizing every detail.

I verified what I was seeing and then took a deep breath and looked at the couple before me and said, "Congratulations you are going to have triplets."

I heard Sasuke crumple on the floor as he slid off the chair and hit the floor.

Hana shook her head and said, "Sorry Sakura-chan, I kinda tried to warn him. My mother had her suspicions and she said that she always thought that I would be the one ending up with multiples in the family because I ended up with three dog familiars. The only multiples born in the clan have been to people who have had multiple animal familiars."

Sasuke groaned on the floor but as I made a move to get him up, he mumbled, "Tri… triplets…"

I placed my chakra infused hand and sent in some healing chakra into his head and he slowly got up.

He rubbed his face and then said, "Sakura… what did you just say."  
Hana looked at him and said, "Sasuke we are having triplets, so get up and sit here so we can finish the ultrasound and go tell Ma."

He did as he was told and began to scratch his head as he stared out into the screen.

I pointed out the small embryonic sacs, the placenta placement and then heartbeats.

I turned on the echo doppler so they could hear the heartbeats and for the first time I saw Sasuke cry tears of joy. He kissed Hana and then reverently kissed her growing stomach. He looked at Hana and said, "We will move up the wedding… you get whatever it is you want… it doesn't matter the price… I just want to make you happy and protect my children."

I smiled at the endearing display of affection and I cleared my throat and asked, "Do you want to know what you are having?"  
He stared at me and then said, "Can you see that this early on?"

I smiled and said, "With an Inuzuka… yeah, I can tell as of right now."

He looked at Hana and then when she nodded they both looked at me and Hana said, "Please Sakura-chan, tell us."  
I readjusted the monitor and began to look closely.

I saw the identical twins first.

I said, "These two are identical, you see... they share the same embryonic sac and placenta. And…. let me see… ah here we go… Looks like these two will be identical boys."  
Sasuke gasped and Hana hugged him while saying, "Did you hear that honey? We are going to have two sons!"

I swear Sasuke almost stopped breathing.

I looked at him and hit him on the side of his head lightly and said, "Sasuke breath, you baka!"

He took in a breath but continued to face the screen without saying a word.

I moved the ultrasound probe once more and then found the third baby hiding towards the back.

"Now this little one is a bit shy… Let me take a look little one…. ok… here…"

I smiled brightly and then said, "It's a girl!"

Sasuke took a deep breath in and whispered, "A girl…"

He began to smile and then kissed Hana again and said something about his princess and how happy he was.

I excused myself from the room and gave them some privacy.

My husband waited for me by my office door, a small bunch of wildflowers in his hand and knowing grin on his face.

I kissed his masked cheek and then took the flowers and said, "I know you know already but I won't tell you until Sasuke and Hana say anything."  
He chuckled and then said, "Like he is going to keep news like this hidden for long after Kiba finds out."

We both walked in my office and Kakashi placed a silencing jutsu in my office and I had a very, very interesting lunch.

* * *

Kakashi's POV

(1 ½ years later)

"That's great Hajime, just throw it as you flick your wrist this way."

"Yes, dad. Is this what you meant?"  
I was astounded how he took my critic and then adjusted his stance and executed the throw of my sensei's three prong kunai with expertise.

"Yes, son…. just like that. Now form your hand seals and then just feel your body being pulled to the kunai."  
I watched my son expertly perform the seals and then transport himself about 50 meters from me.

He smiled when he saw me from afar and then waved in my direction.

I performed the seals and then joined in mere seconds.

I ruffled his hair and we walked over to a nearby tree to eat our lunch as Amaya and Sasuke finished their own training.

I took a bite of the onigiri and Hajime looked at me with a thoughtful expression in his green eyes.

I looked at him and said, "What's wrong Hajime?"  
He looked down at his food and then said, "Dad, will the other kids our age feel weird if we know these things before going into the academy? I just don't want them to hate me or Amaya because of what we can do. What if they don't want to be our friends because of it?"

I looked at him and smiled and I said, "Do you remember the story of my first day at the academy?"

He nodded.

"Well I told you that your grandfather took me and he wanted me to be friends with Might Guy. I really didn't want to and Guy was just as stubborn as me, so we fought all the time. After all of those years we became really good friends. During that time, there were a lot of problems in our world and it was necessary for young children to go into the academy to get them ready to fight.

I was five years old when I graduated from the academy, six when I was promoted to chunin and when I was nine I was a jounin. I didn't have many friends and I will be honest with you, I felt that some of the kids my age were beneath me."  
"But Dad, you have always told us that we should never put anyone beneath us… all of our comrades are important and precious."

"Yes, son… I had to learn that the hard way and I lost a lot of good friends in my journey here. I don't want you to have to suffer through what I had to. Your mom and I want you and your sister to go to the academy to be taught the rest of the things that we haven't taught you here. Every shinobi has to go through the academy and believe me, you will find some good friends there."  
He smiled at me but then said, "But Dad, Tadashi will not be going in with us this year. Do we have to go in this year or can we wait another year and go in with him instead?"

I thought about what he said and then I asked him, "Is this what you want? Are you willing to sacrifice an extra year of training so you can go in with your friend?"

He thought about it and then said, "I am willing to stay back one year if it will mean that Amaya, Tadashi and I go in together. That is more important than extra training, that I can do here with you or Uncle Sasuke or Uncle Kiba."

I sigh and say, "I would have to talk with your mother and see what Amaya wants to do as well."

Hajime continued eating and then he looked up and called out, "Uncle Sasuke! I can feel Aunty Hana approaching the gate."  
He looked at us and then winked at Hajime and then teleported to her location.

Amaya shook her head and then walked over to us and said, "Hajime why didn't you tell him that the kids were with her?"

Hajime shrugged and said, "He will find out soon enough."

I chuckled at his words and then said to Amaya, "Come here princess and have lunch with your old man."  
"Oh Daddy, you are not old…. we all have silver hair… so don't say that you are old and lump all of us with you."

I placed my hand on my heart and appeared wounded.

She laughed and kissed my cheek.

Hajime smiled and then ran his hand through his mass of hair and said to Amaya, "I was telling Dad about us waiting until we turn eight to enter the academy so Tadashi can come in with us and we can all graduate together."  
I looked at her and her grey eyes looked straight into my own as she said, "Daddy, you taught us not to leave anyone of our friends behind, so we will not leave Tadashi behind. He is our friend and we want to go in with all the other kids our own age. We can have all the extra training here at home. It's not like we will be starting from a blank slate anyway, so we won't be behind in any of our classes."

I smiled at her and then said to both of my children, "Ok, well… I will talk with your mother and let you know by tomorrow. Now finish your lunch and I will summon the ninken so they can train with you in their style of pack hunting technique."  
Hajime's eye brightened at the mention of my ninken and Amaya said, "I hope Pakkun takes it easy on us, last time he made me run ten laps around the training grounds because I wasn't paying attention."  
Hajime said, "That's because you always need to be alert. It can get you or your teammates killed for a mistake like that."  
She smiled and said, "Yeah, Yeah, I know but I can sense anyone within a 200 meter radius, so it would be really hard to sneak up on me."  
I shook my head and said, "Amaya, I want you to be confident in your skills but the rules are there for a reason. You need to understand those rules and know that they are there to protect you."  
Hajime gave her a 'I-told-you-so-look' but I turned to him and said, "Hajime the rules are not the only thing that we follow either. We follow our heart and do the right thing to protect our loved ones and the village. You must also develop that sense and be able to trust that judgement as well."  
He looked down at his food and then said, "Yes, Dad."

I ruffled his hair and said, "Don't worry you have plenty of time to hone your skills and learn to trust yourself and others."

Amaya then chimed in and said, "Plus Uncle Sasuke will be there as our sensei, right Daddy?"  
I smile at her and say, "I'm pretty sure you are right darling."

We finish eating and then I summon my pack so they can begin the twins training once more.

Sakura should be back any minute from Kei's play date from Naruto and Hinata's house. They had a rambunctious little girl named Kimiko. She was the spitting image of Naruto, except she had the Hyuga pearly lavender eyes.

Ino and Sai had a little girl who had Sai's inky black hair but Ino's blue eyes, her name was Sayuri.

Neji and Tenten had a son named Michio, he looked just like Neji but had Tenten's spirit.

Shikamaru and Tamari had a son named Satoru and that kid was going to be just like his father, extremely intelligent and easy-going.

They all had met at Naruto's house to let their kids play and bond. A house full of two-year olds was nothing in comparison to when Naruto had the Konoha 12 there for parties. I don't seem to remember most of what happens during those parties, but I do have to assign extra ANBU patrols around his home just in case things get out of hand.

I left the kids and my ninken practicing in the field and then headed into the house to wait for Sakura and Kei.

_I think I'll make some tea and dust off Icha Icha for old times sake._

I headed into the bedroom and went to the bookcase to reach for a familiar orange covered book that I hadn't pulled out in years.

* * *

A/N: Almost there guys, one more chapter... I think. Thank you for the reviews and sticking with this story.

Ok so Hana having triplets is not because I wanted Sasuke to have a set of multiples like Kakashi and Sakura, it's just that Hana has 3 dogs, it just felt right and plus, she is not as young as Sakura and this will help restore the Uchiha clan.

I am happy where I am leaving Sasuke and Hana in this fic. The kids are growing up and the next generation of Shinobi of the Leaf is with us.

Hajime takes after Kakashi in his need to follow rules to protect himself and his teammates and Amaya is more easy going but still very bright and confident. Tadashi means a lot to them and since they learned from their dad not to leave anyone behind they have proven to Kakashi that their friendship means more than an extra year of training.


	65. Chapter 65

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 65

* * *

Kakashi's POV

4 am ANBU debriefing was sometimes a hassle but they were necessary at times.

I had my most trusted ANBU team before me and they had managed to eliminate a threat that was growing near the border of Fire and Tea.

There would be a lot of things to do today but I needed to get back to something very important to me. I excused myself from my captains and dismissed them to prepare their reports from the mission.

I jumped across the rooftops to get back home and I was thinking about how this day would be a day that my children would remember for the rest of their lives.

I got home around 5:30 and I saw Hajime going through some katas with his ninjato, infusing the blade with his white chakra much like I used my tanto. He looked completely at ease in his surroundings and had his eyes closed as he continued his katas.

There was a surge of chakra and I suddenly felt Amaya silently jump from the tree line and come at Hajime with a chakra enhanced katana in each hand.

He deflected her attacks with ease and I could see the smiles on both their faces as they continued to spar with each other.

I jumped on the ledge of a tree and watched my twins spar in perfect unison.

Their stealth attacks were something to be reckoned with that even my ANBU had some difficulties sensing them. I knew that with time they would perfect their technique and be very proficient in their style of attack.

I thought to myself about how they were actually perfect candidates for ANBU in the future.

They sparred until the rays of the sun began to peak from the horizon and I felt Sakura flare her chakra from inside the house. I cleared my throat and my kids looked up at me and jumped to my side on the tree branch in an instant.

I placed my hands on their shoulders and we all looked towards the horizon to see a truly magnificent sight.

This morning's sunrise was really beautiful, there was a slight breeze in the air and it made me feel at home.

Amaya curled her arms around my waist and said, "I love spending these morning with you daddy."

I looked down at her and placed a kiss on her head and said, "This is the favorite part of my day."

Hajime grabbed my hand and squeezed. I looked at my son and said, "You really executed everything perfectly Hajime, I am really proud of you son."

I squeezed back and he said, "Thanks dad."

I then said, "Let's go down and get some breakfast before mom comes out and shakes us off of the tree again."  
We all chuckled at the memory, and I heard Sakura yell, "I heard that!"

Breakfast was full of laughter and excitement over today's events.

Sakura was equally excited and even Kei joined in with us as Amaya told them a funny story about a prank that Tadashi and she played on Hajime.

We all got ready for today's events, Sakura had some rounds at the hospital to do this afternoon, so she was dressed with her medic outfit, I had to go back to ANBU as well and make some changes to the rosters, so I had my ANBU uniform on, sans the mask.

I had Amaya on my shoulders and Hajime was walking close to me on my right side. Sakura held Kei as she walked next to Hajime.

As we walked Amaya kept playing with my hair and mumbling about getting me a hair brush for my birthday or something.

I slightly shook my head and Hajime sighed in agreement.

His hair was almost identical to my own so he knew of the trouble that I had each and every morning. I really have no idea how he genetically inherited the gravity defying look.

Amaya on the other hand had silky silver locks that were pulled into two pigtails that reached her shoulder. She was the picture of innocence that would fool just about anyone that didn't know her. Her grey eyes were always bright but never ceased to roam her surroundings. Pakkun's training with her paid off. No one could ever sneak past my babygirl… ANBU guards couldn't even get past her undetected.

We continued on down the road and met Shizune and Genma walking along with Tadashi.

Amaya began waving towards them saying, "Tadashi! Aunty Shizune, Uncle Genma over here!"

They looked back at my family and stopped for us to catch up.

I nodded at Genma and his family and said, "Good morning everyone."

Tadashi was the first one to respond, "Good morning Kakashi-san, Sakura-san."

_That kid had impeccable manners… It was really difficult ignoring the way that he sometimes looked at Amaya. It reminded me of a very young Obito... Kami give me patience... if this wasn't Genma's kid and knew that he was truly a good kid... I would have ended him with the first infatuated look. Luckily, Amaya was oblivious to the way he looked at her or the way that he got slightly nervous around her. _

Sakura smiled and said, "Tadashi-kun, are you ready for today?"  
He bowed to my wife and said, "Hai, Sakura-san. I believe we have waited for this day for a long time."

_Really good manners... Even Sakura loves the kid. I must try to forget about this and concentrate on today._

Genma hugged Shizune and looked probably as proud as I was.

Our kids earned this and I was so happy for them.

We crossed the academy gates and then went to the west field to take a seat.

The kids sat in the front and a podium was set up in front of us.

As everyone settled down our Hokage took the podium and everyone stood and bowed in respect.

Naruto cleared his throat and said, "Welcome, everyone on this fine morning where we will witness the entrance of these academy students as full-fledged Shinobi of the Leaf. I am proud of this class and I expect you to maintain the teachings from your sensei's as you take the next step in your life as a shinobi. I am happy to announce the new genin class of shinobi."

There was applause everywhere.

Sakura stood by my side holding Kei so that he could see his brother and sister better.

Naruto raised his hands and called forth the jounin sensei's to the stage.

I rotated some of my ANBU agents back to normal rank jounin so they could also become jounin sensei's.

_I truly believed that Lord Third's decision to get me to go back to regular shinobi ranks possibly saved my humanity._

Since I took over ANBU I have implemented many changes and our ANBU has seen a significant decrease in mental health problems and there have even been some who have volunteered to teach the next generation of shinobi by stepping down themselves.

_There was a time and place for someone to join ANBU so, I always left the door open for them to step down or become active again._

Sasuke stepped up to the platform in his regular jounin uniform and stood next to the others.

He had respectfully given me his mask this morning after his last mission as ANBU and thanked me for believing in him and teaching him all that I knew.

We waited for the other team names to be called. It didn't surprise anyone when he gave Sasuke our old team number and called him forth, "As the new Team 7, I am pleased to announce... Hatake Amaya, Hatake Hajime, and Shiranui Tadashi with their new sensei… Uchiha Sasuke."

My wife looked at me and smiled and then we both started clapping along with all of our friends who had gathered.

My children stood proudly as their Hokage gave them their Leaf forehead protectors and my former student, now brother, stood protectively behind them as they took their official team picture.

I looked down at my youngest and then at the children of our friends who still sat on their laps much like little Kei sat on Sakura's lap. I saw that the Will of Fire was strong within them and their parents.

I am sure that Konohagakure's next generation of shinobi will surpass us and continue the relative peace that we all worked so hard to obtain.

I looked up at the sky and prayed, _'Minato-sensei, I hope that I have lived my life according to the Will of Fire. I hope that my children will continue to live according to that teaching under the leadership of your son, Naruto.'_

I looked up and saw the smiling faces of my son and daughter. I took off my mask in public for the second time since my wedding so they could see how truly proud I was of them.

I chose to ignore the couple of gasps and one or two bodies hitting the floor around me, all I saw was the glow of white chakra that surrounded the new Team 7.

* * *

A/N: And that is it for this story. I truly hope you guys liked it and I am humbled by your favorites, reviews and follows. As soon as I finish my classes over the summer I will start on the sequel (It probably won't be as long as this one… but then again I never thought that this story would go to 65 chapters).

I will post an update on this story with the sequels name so the people who placed alerts on it can know.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading this and helping me and encouraging me to continue writing.

Love,

Leosbabygirl84


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